At the panel discussion of the “Yerevan Dialogue” International Forum, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan addressed what peace between the Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan could look like and what can be achieved.
In response, Mirzoyan said: “Earlier today, the Prime Minister of Armenia addressed this issue; however, addressing these issues again, I would like to note that the South Caucasus is similar to many regions and territories of the world. We have a long history here with our neighbors. I can assure you that there have been times when we have cooperated, as well as being attractive to the rest of the world and an important player in world politics, all of us together, the South Caucasus is necessary was a crossroads for trade routes, etc.
But there have also been times when we’ve been at war, and you know this region, like many other regions worldwide, has seen too much blood. We now have a real opportunity; we, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, have a real chance to close the page of hostility in this region and open an era of stability and peace. This will be beneficial for all of us. It will benefit the three of us, our neighbors, the larger region, and all players and nations worldwide. We are at a crossroads and have to make a choice. We in Armenia have chosen the peace agenda because we believe in the benefits of peace, but as anyone can assume, it is very much like dancing. I like to repeat this. You can’t dance alone; you need the other partner willing to dance with you. Thus, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan should make this choice.
Fortunately, we are happy to have excellent and brotherly relations with Georgia, but we are also waiting to establish peace and stability with Azerbaijan. Is this realistic? Yes. We have examples before our eyes. My esteemed colleague, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, can assure you they also had difficult neighbors and complex conflicts in Europe. They have also seen enough blood and been strong enough to change direction in that particular region, and all of us sitting in this room can see that that decision has brought prosperity to Europe.
What could realistically be done? We have already seen some tangible steps, and the demarcation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan has begun. The unblocking and opening of all the regional transport and economic infrastructures is being discussed. We see that, from our side, there is a very constructive dialogue on the peace treaty, and we all know this is another exciting nuance of this issue. We notice that we here in the South Caucasus are attractive to the rest of the world when we cooperate, and of course, we can survive being fragmented; we can somehow survive separately. We have survived here for several thousand years, and I hope we continue living as a free nation for another two thousand years. Still, when we are united, when we cooperate, at least when we have a specific environment of cooperation and tolerance here in the South Caucasus, then the interest of the rest of the world, Interest in the South Caucasus will be much greater. We are interested all over the world together as the South Caucasus, and this is my belief. So here I would like to stop and give the other panelists a chance and look forward to some interesting dialogue.”
