YEREVAN, MAY 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenia believes that by enshrining the principles of the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration in the peace treaty being discussed with Azerbaijan, it can put an end to the long-standing conflict and establish a stable peace in the South Caucasus. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan at a press conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta and the current OSCE Chairman Ian Borg.

Mirzoyan said that at a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta they discussed security issues in the South Caucasus. “I presented to my colleague the current situation in the South Caucasus, the events taking place at the last stage of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the details of the negotiations held in Almaty. In this context, I emphasized the agreement, confirmed on April 19 by the delimitation and border security commissions of the two countries, that the political basis for the delimitation process should be the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. This agreement reaffirmed the positions previously expressed by the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan on various platforms. They agreed that the Alma-Ata Declaration should serve as the basis for mutual recognition of the territorial integrity of both countries and the delimitation process. The Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan first agreed on this in Prague in 2022 and have since then had the opportunity to reaffirm this principle on various platforms. And I hope that enshrining this principle in a peace treaty and signing a peace treaty can put an end to this long-standing conflict and establish a stable and lasting peace in the region,” said the Armenian Foreign Minister.

Ararat Mirzoyan said that an important component of peace is also the unblocking of transport communications in the region, regarding which Armenia presented its vision with the "Crossroads of Peace" project. "We are not only ready, but also interested in re-establishing transport communication, in particular, in the first stage, railway communication with Azerbaijan, of course, understanding that all infrastructures will remain under the sovereignty of the countries through whose territory they pass, will act according to the jurisdiction of these countries and, of course, the regulations will be mutual and in accordance with the principle of equality," said the Armenian Foreign Minister.

Mirzoyan added that in the context of geopolitical developments, the OSCE is facing serious challenges, and these challenges require all participating states to address existing problems with the effective use of the organization's tools and mechanisms in the OSCE area of responsibility. He underscored that the provision of a comprehensive, inviolable and cooperative security concept is the basis of the creation and operation of the OSCE.

“The South Caucasus also faces serious challenges, and they, in turn, violate key principles such as territorial integrity and sovereignty of states. These are challenges that are directly related to the OSCE mandate and emphasize the importance of targeted participation of the structure,” Mirzoyan noted.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia said that during the meeting they exchanged ideas on relations between Armenia and Malta, stressing that Armenia values relations with Malta and is ready to make active efforts to deepen those relations.