"July 23 marks the 27th anniversary of the foundation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh. And although the date is not a jubilee, however, following the established tradition, I would like to congratulate sincerely the staff of the Central Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the diplomatic missions of the Republic of Artsakh abroad, as well as all those that in different years have worked in the structure of the Foreign Ministry of Artsakh and contributed to its formation and to the protection of the interests of our state and its citizens.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh was established in a fateful period for our people - in the midst of the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the young independent state - and immediately assumed the most difficult mission of defending the vital interests of the country, including negotiating with official Baku aimed at ceasing the hostilities and ensuring the security of our citizens. It should be noted that thanks to the victories of the Defense Army of Artsakh and our diplomatic efforts, the mission on forcing Azerbaijan to peace was successfully fulfilled - in May 1994, under the mediation of the Russian Federation, Azerbaijan, the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia signed a termless ceasefire agreement. Unfortunately, over the past years, due to the destructive position and outright hostility of the top military-political leadership of Azerbaijan, the ceasefire has not been transformed into a lasting and sustainable peace.
Today, in the conditions of the ongoing confrontation with the authorities of Baku, which in tandem with Turkey are pursuing an outright hate policy against Armenians, the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Artsakh faces no less important and responsible tasks. In accordance with the Program of President of the Republic of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunian for 2020-2025, the priority directions of the foreign policy include the international recognition of our state, the peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict, the development and deepening of the Republic's international relations, the counteraction to any attempts to isolate it, the further strengthening of the trinity of Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora, which will collectively create favorable conditions for the progressive political and social-economic development of Artsakh. The tasks, I should repeat, are responsible, but I’d like to state confidently that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh, as an established state institution, in close cooperation with Armenia and the Diaspora, will use its full potential for their successful implementation, for addressing the current serious challenges, and properly presenting our state in the international arena.
Once again, I congratulate the staff of the diplomatic service of the Republic of Artsakh on this significant date and wish everyone peace and prosperity, good luck and success in their professional activities".
