Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan’s Speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs During His Official Visit to New Delhi

NEW DELHI — At the start of his official visit to New Delhi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, delivered a speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).

In his address, Minister Mirzoyan provided an in-depth analysis of the dynamics and prospects of Armenia-India bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues.

“Today, Armenia and India share a multi-layered partnership that continues to develop dynamically. Deepening comprehensive cooperation with India is a priority of Armenia’s foreign policy, and we view these relations from a long-term perspective. In recent years, our bilateral relations have seen significant progress. I must emphasize that this has been made possible thanks to the personal efforts and strong commitment of my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Jaishankar. Through joint efforts and determined dedication, we have achieved tangible results in various areas of mutual interest, including the economy, security and defense, information technology, education, and culture. We are also exploring the vast potential for further strengthening the strategic ties between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of India”.b Minister Mirzoyan stated.

Speaking about Armenia’s vision for peace and partnerships, the Foreign Minister said: “We firmly believe peace has no alternative, and only agreements reached through dialogue can bring lasting stability and regional progress. Perhaps, this vision could not have been defined better than through Mahatma Gandhi’s famous message: “There is no way to peace, peace is the way”.”

He noted that with this understanding, Armenia has been engaged in good faith in the peace process with Azerbaijan and today, more than ever, we are close to the signing of the peace treaty, a document establishing interstate relations between the two countries, founded on respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders, and refraining from use of force or threat of force.

The Foreign Minister emphasized that within the context of normalization, Armenia has presented concrete, mutually beneficial proposals to Azerbaijan on the unblocking of regional transport infrastructure, as a result of which both Azerbaijan and Armenia can transport goods through each other’s railway infrastructure.

“Additionally, for the sake of regional stability and predictability we have put forward a proposal on mutual arms control and verification mechanism. Unfortunately, we can not state that our constructive approach is fully reciprocated by Azerbaijan. Moreover, we continue hearing high-level public statements and narratives pertaining territorial claims against the sovereign Republic of Armenia, including through the so-called “Western Azerbaijan” narrative,” he added.

“At the same time, there are still humanitarian issues, namely the pending release of the detainees. As we speak, the staged trials against 23 Armenian individuals – who are arbitrarily detained, are taking place in Azerbaijan with disregard of human rights standards for due process. Achieving complete settlement and durable peace requires preparing societies for reconciliation; unresolved humanitarian issues can only hinder that process,” Minister Mirzoyan noted.

The event was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in India, experts, and members of the media. Minister Mirzoyan also answered questions from the audience.