Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I join others in welcoming the Deputy Foreign Minister to the Permanent Council. We commend Armenia for its constructive and forward-looking approach to the peace negotiations with Azerbaijan.
Norway welcomes the conclusion of negotiations on the draft Agreement for Peace and the Establishment of Interstate Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
We welcome Armenia’s willingness to accept the final articles of the proposed agreement and its readiness to proceed to signing without delay, and hope this wil be reciprocated. We urge Azerbaijan to reciprocate. By concluding this accord, we believe both nations can move beyond decades of conflict and lay the groundwork for a stable and prosperous South Caucasus.
We encourage further progress in regulating borders and opening regional
communications, based on respect for each country’s sovereignty and a spirit of mutual benefit.
At this delicate juncture, we also underscore the importance of ensuring that the conflict does not cast a shadow over the current, modest but urgently needed signs of progress on the OSCE budget—progress that is essential for the Organization to fulfill its mandate.
Norway remains committed to working with our OSCE partners to support these efforts.
Thank you