The Government of the Republic of Armenia

Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan today attended the CIS Council of Heads of Government meeting, which was held via video link. The Deputy Prime Minister delivered a speech, in which he stated:

“Dear Government Leaders,
Dear Colleagues,

I will voice a common opinion stating that the Commonwealth’s main task is to ensure favorable conditions for further development of interstate cooperation in the economic, humanitarian, security and political spheres.

Armenia welcomes the initiatives of interaction and cooperation in these areas and is ready to assist in the effective implementation of the decisions already made. I am confident that our continued efforts to give the existing agreements a specific content will increase the real contribution of the Commonwealth of Independent States to strengthening and expanding multilateral cooperation between our countries within the framework of the organization.

In connection with the statements of the Azerbaijani side, I should recall once again that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship is the only format for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that has a mandate from the international community represented by the Russian Federation, the French Republic and the United States of America.

Since the topic has been touched upon, let me say that Azerbaijan’s aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh continues, and the aggression is carried out through Turkey’s direct military-political support with the involvement of terrorist fighters from Syria and Libya.

Before everyone’s eyes, Azerbaijan is becoming a springboard for the infiltration of terrorists and their ideology into the CIS. All civilian settlements in the NKR, including the capital Stepanakert and the second largest city of Shushi, civilian infrastructure, healthcare institutions, schools, kindergartens, cultural, historical and religious monuments are targeted by missile and bomb attacks carried out by Azerbaijan’s armed forces.

The Azeri fighters are using methods inherent in radical terrorist groups, such as torture, demonstrative executions, beheading of prisoners, and acts of vandalism over the bodies of those killed. Azerbaijan’s political-military leadership is responsible for several war crimes and gross violations of international humanitarian and customary law.

Contrary to calls of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, heads of many states and representatives of authoritative international structures, Azerbaijan repeatedly violated and continues to violate the ceasefire agreements. It is high time for Azerbaijan to understand that there is no military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, and that the CIS platform is not where they can disseminate lies and falsifications.

Back to the agenda of our meeting, I will briefly dwell on a number of issues. I would like to note once again that Armenia is ready to continue taking effective steps aimed at creating favorable conditions for working on promising areas of mutually beneficial cooperation within the framework of our organization.

As you may know, any economic turbulence on a global scale is simultaneously a stimulus for the development of new approaches, innovations and capitalization of scientific achievements. And in this regard, we attach particular importance to cooperation between the CIS-member states in innovation, educational, informational and other spheres.

Considering that digitalization, innovation and high technologies are among the priority areas in our country, the Armenian side assures of its readiness to deepen cooperation as part of high-tech development programs.

In this context, we attach importance to the adoption of the Interstate Program of CIS- Member States’ Innovative Cooperation until 2030 and the signing of the agreement on information cooperation between CIS-member states in the field of digital development.

The Armenian side also supports the adoption of the documents proposed for the meeting, which seek to streamline and improve the applicable mechanisms of interaction in various fields, in particular, as regards the creation and development of a common air defense system, the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and ensuring transport security during transportation in international traffic through the territories of the CIS-member states.

We perceive the adoption of the Plan of Priority Actions in the Sphere of Humanitarian Cooperation for the next two years as another step in strengthening ties and expanding contacts in the humanitarian sphere.

We attach great importance to the adoption of the Action Plan for the implementation of the first five-year stage of the Economic Development Strategy, aimed at developing the economy and interstate trade and economic cooperation, which contains measures to minimize the negative impact of the global pandemic on our respective economies.

Accordingly, we attach special importance to cooperation in the field of healthcare, preservation, restoration and improvement of public health, health protection and the provision of sanitary and epidemiological well-being, development and strengthening of interstate relations in the field of medicine.

In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm our readiness to synchronize the ongoing efforts with the CIS countries in combating the pandemic with maximum effectiveness. Thank you for your attention.”