On December 4, Minister Mirzoyan attended the opening of the 32nd OSCE Ministerial Council.

At the official opening ceremony of the event, the participants were welcomed by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen. Minister Mirzoyan had contacts with counterparts from the participating states.

On the same day, Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan delivered a speech at the 32nd meeting of OSCE Ministers. The full speech of the Minister is presented below.

Distinguished Chairperson-in-Office,

Excellencies, 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to express our appreciation to the Finnish Chairmanship for organizing this Ministerial Council meeting. Let me also thank our Austrian hosts for their traditional hospitality.

Fifty years ago, in times of ideological confrontation, lack of trust, misperceptions and geopolitical divides, the Helsinki Final Act managed to consolidate States around shared principles, reducing the risks of a new global war and confrontation. 

Of course, our world has changed significantly since the signing of the Decalogue. Yet, against all odds, the core principles enshrined in the Final Act continue to pledge an applicable and viable international framework. Today, at a moment of global geopolitical shifts, the principles of sovereign equality of states, respect for the territorial integrity of states, the inviolability of internationally recognized borders, and the peaceful settlement of disputes are more relevant than ever. 

 Excellencies,

Since my last address at the 31st Ministerial Council meeting, our region has been undergoing significant transformations. Most notably, on August 8 in Washington, DC, the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the United States of America, as a witness, signed a declaration that established peace in one of the most volatile and war-torn regions within the OSCE’s area of responsibility. Armenia and Azerbaijan have also initialled the Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan. At the same Washington Peace Summit, we agreed to jointly appeal to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, proposing the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk structures, which formally marked the end of the conflict.

The Washington meeting has also opened a genuine window of opportunity for unblocking communications between Armenia and Azerbaijan for intrastate, bilateral and international transportation based on full respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and jurisdiction. Enhanced connectivity, including the implementation of the “TRIPP route”, aims at transforming the South Caucasus into an efficient and secure transit and logistics hub, connecting Europe with Central Asia, thus promoting not only economic prosperity but also the broader architecture of regional security. 

In this context, we welcome Azerbaijan’s recent statement on lifting the restrictions on transit to Armenia. As an immediate and actual result, the first shipments of grain have already entered Armenia through Azerbaijan via the Azerbaijan–Georgia–Armenia railway route. In its turn, Armenia has declared its readiness to ensure the transit of trucks from Türkiye to Azerbaijan, and from Azerbaijan to Türkiye.   

The full opening of the border between Armenia and Türkiye is the next crucial link in the chain I described, completing the transformation of the region. We actively continue the dialogue with Türkiye, aimed at full normalization of bilateral relations. In this regard, I would like to inform you that just a few days ago, ​​representatives of the relevant institutions of the two countries held the second round of technical discussions aimed at the rehabilitation and reactivation of the Gyumri-Kars railway.

Excellencies,

Democracies today confront a rapidly evolving set of challenges that test their resilience from within and without. Hybrid threats, including disinformation, cyberattacks, foreign interference and manipulation, and the instrumentalization of vulnerabilities, aim not only to weaken state institutions, but also to undermine the democratic way of life, eroding public trust and polarising societies. 

As Armenia prepares for parliamentary elections next year, we face the escalating waves of such challenges. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that we remain strongly committed to ensuring that the electoral process meets the highest democratic standards, according to our beliefs and the expectations of our citizens and in line with our OSCE commitments.

Dear colleagues,

In closing, I once again thank Finland for its able leadership and wish Switzerland every success during its upcoming Chairmanship.

I thank you.