Mirzoyan: With help of int`l community, Armenian Government has taken  necessary measures to meet short-term needs of refugees from Artsakh

ArmInfo. On May 17, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan participated in the 133rd Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and delivered remarks.  The full statement of Minister Mirzoyan, published on the official website of the RA MFA, is presented below.

"Dear Colleagues, Ladies and gentlemen,

This year we celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of our  Organization. 75 years after its establishment, the Council of Europe  still remains one of the most important international organizations  in protection of human rights and the rule of law.

As we navigate through challenging times, where the threshold for  violation of these basic principles, including the use of force, is  alarmingly high, it is imperative that we recommit ourselves to the  values and ideals that have guided this institution during three  quarters of a century.

Unfortunately, that is not necessarily the case for all the member  states not only in the context of internal democratic institutions,  but also in their relations with other states. In this sense since  the Reykjavik Summit, significant human rights and humanitarian  developments have unfolded in the geographic area of the Council of  Europe, particularly in South Caucasus.

In September 2023, after 9 months of blockade, the world witnessed  the forcible displacement of the indigenous Armenian population of  Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan's military attack on the  region, as documented by the Commissioner for Human Rights after her  fact-finding visit in October 2023.

With the help of the international community, the Armenian Government  has taken necessary measures to meet the short-term needs of the  refugees. Another pressing humanitarian issue remains the issue of  the release of all Armenian prisoners of war and civilians illegally  detained in Azerbaijan.

Along with this, we should also note the positive developments. In  April, Armenia and Azerbaijan finally started the delimitation  process based on the 1991 Alma-Ata declaration, which was welcomed by  many countries and organizations, including the Secretary General of  the Council of Europe.

Following my most recent meeting with the Azerbaijani counterpart on  10-11 May in Almaty, Armenia reaffirms its commitment to the lasting,  stable peace in the South Caucasus based on mutual recognition of  territorial integrity as per Alma-Ata declaration, the delimitation  of the state border in line with the Alma-Ata Declaration, as well as  the unblocking of communications under the sovereignty and  jurisdiction of two states, based on the principles of equality and  reciprocity.

We believe the Council of Europe with its conventional system, has an  important role to play in contributing to the democratic security of  Europe and upholding the rights of all persons living in its  geographical area.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank Liechtenstein for its  dedicated guidance of the work of the Committee of the Ministers and  wish all the best to the Lithuanian chairmanship.  Thank you."