On November 16, Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan held phone conversations with Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov, with Foreign Minister of Sweden, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ann Linde, as well as Assistant Secretary Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried on November 17.
Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan presented his colleagues in detail the situation resulting from the military operations unleashed by the Azerbaijani armed forces against the sovereign territory of Armenia on November 16.
Ararat Mirzoyan mentioned that these actions were preceded by aggressive rhetoric and threats of use of force against the territorial integrity of Armenia by the high leadership of Azerbaijan, as well as by the infiltration of the Azerbaijani armed forces into the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia since May 12, 2021, in the direction of Syunik and Gegharkunik regions.
The Foreign Minister of Armenia emphasized that in response to Armenia's efforts to de-escalate the situation and establish stability in the region, the Azerbaijani authorities have launched another aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia.
Ararat Mirzoyan stressed the need for targeted response and consistent steps by international partners to restrain the blatant encroachments and provocative actions of Azerbaijan on the sovereign territories of the Republic of Armenia.
The interlocutors also touched upon the process of peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. In this context, the forthcoming visit of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to the region was emphasized.
The sides exchanged views on humanitarian issues that need to be urgently addressed. In this regard, Ararat Mirzoyan stressed the need for unconditional repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war, hostages and others detainees.
