On 12 November, Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan had telephone conversations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and the US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun.

The sides exchanged views on the situation following the joint statement of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the President of the Russian Federation on 10 November. In this regard, Minister Mnatsakanyan stressed that the above-mentioned statement is aimed at establishing a ceasefire and the deployment of peacekeepers in Artsakh and cannot be considered a comprehensive solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The RA Foreign Minister and the high representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries also touched upon the key role of Turkey in the planning, provocation and implementation of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, which was expressed both by direct involvement in hostilities and the involvement of foreign armed terrorists in the conflict zone. He clearly emphasized the exclusion of any role of Turkey in the peacekeeping operations to be carried out in Artsakh, despite the steps taken by the latter in that direction.

Minister Mnatsakanyan stressed the need for the international community to take immediate steps to address the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh as a result of the Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression.

The Armenian Foreign Minister expressed deep concern over the fate of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage in the Azerbaijani-occupied territories of Artsakh. Minister Mnatsakanyan stressed that the international community is well aware of Azerbaijan’s barbaric attitude towards the Armenian heritage, as a result of which in Nakhichevan, in the territory of Azerbaijan, and in the territories occupied by Azerbaijan during the first Artsakh war were completely destroyed the monuments of the Armenian heritage.

The interlocutors stressed the need to ensure the continuity of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ activities as the only measure of an international mediation mandate. In this regard, Minister Mnatsakanyan stressed that all issues related to the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process are subject to discussion exclusively within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, and it is in this dimension that the interests of the Artsakh Armenians will be fully addressed. As a priority, the Foreign Minister stressed the need to fully guarantee the status of Artsakh and the comprehensive security of the Armenians of Artsakh.