Good afternoon, dear colleagues.

Today I have the honor to host the OSCE Chairperson-in-office and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, my dear friend Elina Valtonen.

First of all, I would like to note that the visit of the OSCE Chairperson-in-office to the region is taking place under entirely new circumstances, amid developments of great significance for our region. I am primarily referring to the establishment of the peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Peace Summit held in Washington, DC, on August 8, and the agreements reached there. I have presented to our colleagues the details, including the initialing of the Treaty and the principles enshrined in the Declaration, as well as the principles under which the unblocking of infrastructure and transport communications will take place.

It is no secret that the OSCE, through its instruments, was meant to contribute to the establishment of peace in the South Caucasus. And now, when peace has been established, we have, among other agreements, also undertaken the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group and its structures. These new realities are also new from the perspective of Armenia-OSCE cooperation and Armenia’s participation in the Organization. In this context, as a country operating in a new reality, we need to identify new horizons, new dimensions, and new frameworks for cooperation and engagement.

We are particularly interested in exploring opportunities for cooperation in economic and environmental issues. 

Secondly, we hope that the OSCE platform, both under the current and future Chairmanships, will contribute to the further consolidation of peace. This concerns not only the South Caucasus, but the entire OSCE area. It is especially important to focus on the dimension of eliminating enmity between peoples, and here I would like to quote from our recently signed Washington Declaration: about the creation of “conditions to finally embark on building good neighborly relations after the conflict that brought immense human suffering,” and the implementation of efforts in that direction.

Overall, the Republic of Armenia wishes to see a strong and effective OSCE, the effective organization across all three dimensions.

In the current geopolitical environment, the OSCE needs the firm commitment of its participating states to the spirit and principles of that historic document – I mean the Helsinki Final Act – in order to strengthen the Organization’s effectiveness and resilience. Only in this way can it fully contribute, in line with its primary mandate, to ensuring security and stability within the OSCE area of responsibility, to conflict resolution, to the prevention of gross violations of human rights, and to efforts aimed at restoring violated rights. We have consistently advocated for the full implementation of the principles of the Helsinki Final Act throughout the entire OSCE area of responsibility, and our efforts will continue to be directed toward this goal.

Also, of course, dear colleagues, we did not overlook Armenia-Finland bilateral relations. Minister Valtonen and I noted with satisfaction that relations between our two countries have recently gained new momentum. In July 2024, meetings between the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Finland took place within the framework of the European Political Community summit and this year’s Munich Security Conference. I warmly recall my visit to Helsinki last year. I once again reaffirm my invitation to you, Madam Minister, to visit us in your capacity as Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs on a bilateral visit. We highly appreciate the institutional support that Finland provides for strengthening democracy and resilience of Armenia. A clear manifestation of this is Finland’s participation in the “Resilient Syunik” initiative. Of course, Finland’s involvement is not limited to that – we have a very broad framework of cooperation, and the commitment we see from official Helsinki continues to inspire us.

Of course, for us, the Armenia–Nordic-Baltic (NB8) cooperation format holds particular importance. We are confident that within this framework, there is much we can learn and also much we can contribute. The Nordic-Baltic countries are known for their well-established democracies, and naturally, we also hope to make our own contribution – one that may, in turn, prove valuable for our Nordic-Baltic partners as well.

We did not overlook the topic of Armenia-European Union relations. We outlined the directions in which we are currently, right now, significantly deepening our relations with the European Union both at the political level and across all other levels. Overall, within the context of European integration, we are both developing concrete plans of action and looking forward with great enthusiasm to the next summit of the European Political Community, which will take place next May in Yerevan.

Let me conclude my remarks once again by expressing my gratitude to you, Madam Minister, for your visit and for the very detailed and substantive conversation we had.

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Questions and Answers

Anna Nazaryan (Public Radio): My question is addressed to Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. You mention that during all meetings and on international platforms you raise the issue of prisoners of war and try to find a solution. Recently, you have been quite actively participating in international forums and meetings. What news can you share and what is the probability of receiving information about prisoners through other countries?

Ararat Mirzoyan. Thanks for the question. In the conditions of a truly established peace within the framework of the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement process, in the conditions of agreements reached on several significant issues, however, there are still some issues that still need to be resolved and require additional efforts, which, in fact, have not been resolved at the moment, and one or the first one, is the issue of the release of hostages and prisoners held in Baku. We carry out our work in this direction on a daily basis, not always visible, not always effective – otherwise the issue would have been resolved long ago and removed from the agenda – but we are doing this work. As always, and at this moment, I also want to express the hope that we will have good news in this regard in the near future. In any case, we are not ceasing our efforts, and just yesterday, also within the framework of the Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, we discussed this issue again with our Azerbaijani colleagues. So let's hope that our efforts will yield positive results in the near future.

The participation of third countries, especially in the context of the transfer of information about hostages, is of course important, especially given the fact that the International Committee of the Red Cross has ceased its activities in Azerbaijan. As you know, our work in this area has mainly been carried out through this channel, and now this issue is also very relevant, and we must somehow try to fill this gap. In general, our work on this topic certainly does not exclude, and this issue is constantly present in our contacts with third countries, but nevertheless, direct Armenia-Azerbaijan contacts are the main channel.

Narek Kirakosyan (Factor TV): Thank you. I have one question for the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and another for the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. You mentioned certain timelines regarding the dissolution of the Minsk Group – if I’m not mistaken, you said “no later than December.” If the Minsk Group ceases to exist, how does the OSCE envision the settlement of the issue, particularly regarding the return of the Armenians of Artsakh to their homes and, in general, the restoration of their rights under international law? Is there any alternative approach, and overall, what will the future activity of the OSCE be in the region after the dissolution of the Minsk Group?

Mr. Mirzoyan, in your interview with Polish television, you mentioned that “the Azerbaijani side is putting forward preconditions,” in plural, meaning several preconditions. It is known that one of them is the amendment of the Constitution, and another is the OSCE Minsk Group. There is already clarity regarding the Minsk Group. What are the other preconditions besides the Constitution?

Ararat Mirzoyan: Adding to what Madam Minister said, I would like to add, or once again remind you of the policy of the Government of the Republic of Armenia on this matter. We believe, and we are making the utmost efforts to ensure that our displaced compatriots can fully integrate, restart or continue their lives in the Republic of Armenia, and become part of the society of the Republic of Armenia.

As for your other question, which was addressed directly to me, indeed, you have already listed those preconditions. The preconditions put forward for the final signing of the agreement were the Minsk Group structures and the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. This has been voiced for a long time by both Azerbaijan and us, meaning we have spoken about the existence of such preconditions. As you rightly noted, part of the issue – the one related to the Minsk Group – has, in essence, been resolved. The political decision has been made, and the final decisions on budgetary and other, more technical matters, will be completed by December.

Regarding the Constitution, I consider it necessary to note that, as before, there is no such issue as a mutually agreed agenda item in our discussions. The matter of amending the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia or adopting a new Constitution is exclusively a matter of domestic policy and the decision of our people. I am surprised that, after so many assurances, these questions continue to be raised or asked.

But since you asked, let me once again emphasize: the Republic of Armenia has never undertaken and will never undertake any obligation before any party to change the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. Again, this is solely the decision of our citizens and is part of our internal, domestic, and societal agenda.

Yes, Azerbaijan continues to speak about it, link it, and consider it as a condition – in the singular number, to be clear and avoid any misunderstanding. Such a precondition exists, and Azerbaijan continues to set it as a condition for the signing of the Agreement. We do not accept this linkage – this precondition. I have already stated that.

Davit Mamyan (Armenpress): Good afternoon. Mr. Mirzoyan, you mentioned that during your visit to Egypt, you had a meeting with your Azerbaijani colleague or colleagues, and you also highlighted some of the topics discussed. What additional details regarding that  meeting could you provide? Furthermore, considering the agreements reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington, DC, back in August, particularly regarding the unblocking of the region, could you please elaborate on the current stage of implementation of that initiative, also referred to as TRIPP, and what expectations or developments might be anticipated in the near future?

Indeed, as you noted and as I have already mentioned, there were such interactions yesterday not only with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, but also with several other Foreign Ministers and officials. With the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, broadly speaking, we had the opportunity to exchange views on nearly the entire scope of the normalization process. Naturally, not with the same depth as would be possible in a separate and bilateral meeting, but we particularly focused on humanitarian issues.

With regard to connectivity, I would like to once again take this opportunity to reiterate that the agreement is as follows: Armenia and Azerbaijan shall open all transport infrastructure between the two countries. The railway that will pass through the southern part of Armenia, will be called TRIPP, which is the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity. In other words, it has a clearly defined name and underlying principles, both for the overall unblocking process and for this specific section. The unblocking will take place under and within the framework of these principles.

These principles are well known, but I would like to list them once again: territorial integrity, the inviolability of borders, sovereignty, jurisdiction of the respective countries over the infrastructure located on their territories, and, of course, reciprocity. I want to emphasize again that these principles apply to the comprehensive unblocking process, including the aforementioned section. I emphasize this because I see that speculations in the media space regarding this matter continue, possibly deliberately fueled by certain circles.

As for the section of the railway on the territory of Armenia, the TRIPP, its construction is yet to continue, and the conditions and technical solutions must still be clarified jointly by the Republic of Armenia and the United States of America. Since August 8, Armenia and the United States have already been making efforts in this direction, and this has become our daily work. Once we have a final and comprehensive understanding, we will publicly announce the terms. There will be a joint Armenian-American company that will assume responsibility for construction and subsequent operation of this project. Eventually, all the remaining details that need to be clarified will indeed be clarified and made public.

Once again, I would like to underscore that what has been agreed upon, at this point, is what has already been made public and is available in the Washington Declaration. As for the remaining aspects, Armenia and the United States will continue to work together, finalize the details in coordination with all relevant sides, and announce them publicly.