Mirzoyan: Armenia is convinced that peace has no alternative

ArmInfo. Despite these formidable challenges and persistent security threats, Armenia remains steadfastly committed to building peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus. This was stated by the head of the Armenian MFA, Ararat Mirzoyan, during a speech at the Diplomatic Institute of Rio Branco.

He added that Armenia is convinced that peace has no alternative. According to him, it is with this fundamental understanding that Armenia has been actively engaged in the peace process with Azerbaijan.  "Today, we are closer than ever to signing a peace treaty that will establish formal interstate relations based on the commitments to sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders and non-use or threat  of force. Last week, we made significant progress in our negotiations," he added, noting that Yerevan and Baku agreed on a draft peace treaty last week.

"The peace treaty is now agreed upon and  ready for signing. Armenia has the political will to sign it immediately and proposes to initiate consultations with Azerbaijan as soon as possible to determine the place, time and other practical details of the official signing of this historic agreement," the Minister said.

He stressed that in the comprehensive settlement process, Armenia has also presented concrete and mutually beneficial proposals for unblocking regional transport infrastructure, which envisage simplifying border crossing procedures and  introducing additional mechanisms to ensure cargo security. These proposals will create an opportunity for both Azerbaijan and Armenia to mutually benefit from each other's railway networks, promoting sustainable economic cooperation

"Despite this significant progress that we have made, it should be noted that the aggressive rhetoric from the Azerbaijani side continues, accompanied by false accusations of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side in recent days. I would like to emphasize that these accusations are completely unfounded, as also evidenced by the EU observers deployed along our state border with Azerbaijan. Armenia has no reason to violate the ceasefire, and  has consistently advocated the establishment of a mechanism toinvestigate such accusations, to which Azerbaijan has yet to respond. In addition, Armenia has also presented constructive initiatives on mutual arms control and verification measures. Unfortunately, Azerbaijan has not responded to these proposals either," the Armenian Minister said.

Mirzoyan expressed confidence that for a lasting peace, Armenia and Azerbaijan must consistently promote mutual trust and dialogue. "The resolution of unresolved humanitarian issues, including the release of Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees, as well as effective investigation of cases of missing persons and enforced disappearances, could make a positive contribution to this process. Therefore, I want to emphasize that the time for peace is now, and if Armenia's strong political will for stability and prosperity in the region is reciprocated, we will achieve the long-awaited and desired peace," the Armenian Foreign Minister concluded.