On November 12, Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan held a phone conversation with High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

The Minister briefed his interlocutor on the developments following the joint statement of November 10 by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, underlining that this statement is invented for the cessation of hostilities and the deployment of peacekeepers in Artsakh.

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan reiterated the commitment of Armenian side to continue discussions on all the issues regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process exclusively within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, aimed at fully addressing the interests of the Armenians of Artsakh. In that regard, the Foreign Minister underlined the imperative of ensuring the status of Artsakh and the sustainable security guarantees for the Armenians in Artsakh. The EU High Representative reaffirmed EU’s support for the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs format.

Foreign Minister of Armenia raised the issue of the fate of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage in Azerbaijani occupied territories of Artsakh. He emphasized the need to undertake immediate steps to preserve them, especially taking into account the fate of the Armenian historical and cultural monuments that have been occupied by Azerbaijan so far.

In this regard, the EU High Representative stressed the importance of preserving cultural heritage and the principles of the international humanitarian law.

The interlocutors touched upon in detail the humanitarian crisis resulting from the Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression in Artsakh and the steps to be undertaken on the ground to address it. Foreign Minister of Armenia Mnatsakanyan and the EU High Representative Josep Borrell discussed the constant support of the EU in this regard.