Armenia, Brazil for expanding traditional relations 

ArmInfo. Below is a statement by the Foreign Minister of Armenia following the meeting with the Foreign Minister of Brazil Mauro Vieira. 

Dear Minister Viera, 

First, I sincerely thank you for the invitation and warm hospitality  extended to my delegation during this visit. Brazil's and your  personal interest in fostering closer ties with Armenia is deeply  appreciated, and we are eager to build upon the strong foundation of  our longstanding friendship.  

Dear colleagues, 

Brazil was among the first Latin American nations to recognize  Armenia's independence in 1991 and, in 2006, became the first South  American country to establish a resident embassy in Yerevan. Armenia  and Brazil share fundamental democratic values and principles, which  serve as the foundation of our political dialogue and cooperation.  Over the past three decades, our diplomatic relations have evolved  into a meaningful and multifaceted cooperation.

    This visit presents an opportunity to chart a more ambitious course  for the future, including cooperation beyond traditional areas of  mutual interest.  

While we look into possibilities of extending the legal framework and  continue working on different draft agreements, today I am pleased to  sign the Memorandum of Understanding between the Diplomatic School of  Armenia and the Rio Branco Institute of Brazil. We are keen to  further enhance our bilateral cooperation on education, innovation,  high-tech, IT and digital banking: these are areas where we are both  ready to share and learn from Brazil's experience.  

Despite the geographical distance, there is significant potential to  expand our trade relations. Last year saw some increase in bilateral  trade turnover, but certainly, there is a huge potential for much   more.  

To boost stronger economic relations, with Minister Vieira we  emphasized the commitment to foster direct business-to-business (B2B)  connections. In this regard, I should commend the presence of the  strong Brazilian delegation at the special edition of the Americas  Competitiveness Exchange (ACE) of the Organization of the American  States (OAS), held in October 2024, in Armenia.  

Today, with Minister Viera we noted with satisfaction the cooperation  between our countries in international fora, including the United  Nations and its specialized agencies, as well as the Organization of  American States. We look forward to working closely with Brazil on  crucial global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity  conservation. I confirmed to Minister Vieira that our delegation will  join COP30 in Belem in November this year, and we look forward to  welcoming Brazilian representatives to COP17 in Yerevan in 2026. We  both look forward to closer cooperation in this context.  Moreover we  supported and became a founding member of the Alliance against Hunger  and Poverty, initiated by Brazil.

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Today we exchanged views on international developments and  tendencies. I briefed Minister Vieira on Armenia's expanding  partnerships, be it the strategic partnership with the United States  or deepening of cooperation with the European Union.

    Of course, we also spoke about regional issues. While we witness  uncertainties and security challenges across many regions, Armenia  has faced many security challenges firsthand, and the South Caucasus  has seen many confrontations. Yet, my country remains steadfast in  its commitment to achieving lasting peace in the South Caucasus. I am  sure you heard about the most recent development regarding the  normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan: by  agreeing to the most recent edition of the draft Peace Treaty,  Armenia paved the way for finalization of the draft text and the  negotiations on the draft. We appreciate Brazil's immediate reaction  to this development. So the Treaty is ready to sign, and Armenia is  ready to sign the Treaty which can become a key pillar in building  lasting peace in the region.

    Other pillars are the border delimitation and unblocking of regional  communication. Last year we made significant progress in border  delimitation based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, having  successfully delimited and demarcated over 12 kilometers of the  borderline. 

  On unblocking regional communications, we have made very concrete  proposals to Azerbaijan, which, if implemented, could allow the  functioning of the railway, then perhaps lead to broader  opportunities for enhanced connectivity. Of course, as you can  imagine the topic of connectivity goes beyond the borders of our two  countries, and with the vision of both contributing and becoming part  of larger logistical routes, Armenia has initiated the "Crossroads of  Peace" initiative, a project aimed at achieving an inclusive regional  connectivity framework of roads, railways, pipelines, and energy   networks.  

For more predictability and creation of mutual trust, Armenia also  put forward constructive initiatives on mutual arms control and  verification measures. 

  Regrettably, the mentioned proposals have not been constructively  reciprocated by Azerbaijan: we still lack a positive response to the  proposals on communication and arms control mechanisms.

While we have announced the finalization of the draft Peace Treaty,  the past several days saw an intensification of the Azerbaijani  totally false accusations of ceasefire violations, categorically  refuted by Armenia. To reach that desired goal of peace, Armenia's  strong political will should be reciprocated.  

If peace is to be achieved, both sides must commit to fostering an  environment of trust and dialogue. In this regard, addressing the  unresolved humanitarian issues - such as the release of Armenian POWs  and other detained persons would significantly ease the situation.  

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Armenia pursues a balanced and forward-looking foreign policy - one  that seeks to maintain stability, expand economic opportunities, and  reinforce our commitment to democratic values. Our partnership with  Brazil exemplifies the potential of international cooperation rooted   in mutual respect and shared interests.  

As we move forward, we remain dedicated to deepening our bilateral  ties with Brazil and other global partners, fostering peace in our  region, and contributing to a more just and equitable international   order.  

I once again express my sincere gratitude to Minister Vieira and the  Brazilian government for their support and engagement. We look  forward to many more years of fruitful collaboration and friendship.  

Thank you.