RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan made a statement to the press following his meeting with the Brazilian Foreign Minister.

"Dear Minister Vieira, First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for the invitation and the warm hospitality extended to my delegation during this visit. We highly appreciate Brazil's interest in deepening ties with Armenia. We also seek to continue developing our relations, building on the solid foundation of our long-standing friendship.

Brazil was one of the first Latin American countries to recognize Armenia's independence in 1991 and became the first South American country to establish a resident embassy in Yerevan in 2006. Armenia and Brazil share fundamental democratic values and principles, which are the basis of our political dialogue and cooperation. Over the past three decades, our diplomatic relations have developed into a meaningful and multifaceted partnership. This visit provides an opportunity to outline more ambitious prospects, including cooperation beyond traditional areas.

While we explore the possibilities of expanding the legal framework and continue to work on various draft agreements, today I am pleased to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Diplomatic School of Armenia and the Rio Branco Institute of Brazil. We seek to deepen bilateral cooperation in education, innovation, high technologies, the IT sector, and digital banking. In these areas/sectors, we can both share experiences and learn from Brazil's experience.

Despite the geographical distance, there is significant potential to expand our trade relations. Last year, there was some growth in bilateral trade turnover, but there is certainly much greater potential.

With Minister Vieira, we emphasized our commitment to promoting direct business-to-business (B2B) contacts to develop stronger economic relations. In this context, I would like to note with satisfaction the participation of the Brazilian representative delegation in the special event "Inter-American Competitiveness Exchange" (ACE) held in Armenia in October 2024 under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS).

Today, with Minister Vieira, we noted with satisfaction the practical cooperation between our countries in international platforms, including the United Nations and its specialized agencies and the Organization of American States. We look forward to working closely with Brazil to address global challenges, including climate change and biodiversity conservation. I assured Minister Vieira that our delegation will participate in COP30 in Belém this November, and we look forward to meeting our Brazilian counterparts at COP17 in Yerevan in 2026. We both seek closer cooperation in this context. In addition, we have supported and become a founding member of the Alliance against Hunger and Poverty initiated by Brazil.

Today, we exchanged views on international developments and trends. I presented to Minister Vieira Armenia's expanding partnerships, whether strategic partnerships with the United States or deepening cooperation with the European Union.

Of course, we also spoke about regional issues. While we witness uncertainties and security challenges in many regions, Armenia has faced many security challenges directly, and the South Caucasus has gone through many conflicts. However, my country remains steadfast in its commitment to achieving sustainable peace in the South Caucasus.

I am sure you are aware of the recent developments regarding normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. By agreeing to the latest version of the draft peace treaty, Armenia paved the way for the finalization of the text and the conclusion of negotiations on the draft. We appreciate Brazil's prompt response to this event. Thus, the agreement is ready for signing, and Armenia is prepared to sign the deal, which can become an essential pillar for establishing sustainable peace in the region.

Another important pillar is the demarcation of borders and unblocking of regional communication routes. Last year, we made significant progress in the demarcation process. Based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, more than 12 kilometers of border were successfully demarcated.

We have presented Azerbaijan with concrete proposals on the unblocking of regional communications, which, if implemented, could enable the railway to be put into operation first and then create broad opportunities for expanding communications. Of course, As you can imagine, the topic of connectivity goes beyond the borders of our two countries, and with the vision of connecting and contributing to regional and global logistics routes, Armenia has initiated the "Crossroads of Peace" project. This project aims to form an inclusive framework for regional communications of roads, railways, pipelines, and energy networks.

Armenia has also taken constructive initiatives to establish mechanisms for mutual arms control and verification to increase predictability and build mutual trust.

Unfortunately, Azerbaijan has not responded constructively to the above-mentioned proposals; we still have not received a positive response to the proposals on communications and arms control.

Although we have announced the finalization of the draft Peace Agreement, in recent days, Azerbaijan has made completely false accusations related to ceasefire violations, which Armenia categorically denies. Armenia's strong political will must be reciprocated to achieve the desired goal of peace.

If peace is to be realized, both sides must commit to building a climate of trust and dialogue. In this context, resolving outstanding humanitarian issues, such as the release of Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees, could significantly ease the situation.

Armenia pursues a balanced and forward-looking foreign policy to maintain stability, expand economic opportunities, and strengthen our commitment to democratic values. Our partnership with Brazil demonstrates the potential of international cooperation based on mutual respect and common interests.

On our path, we remain committed to deepening our bilateral ties with Brazil and other global partners, strengthening peace in our region, and establishing a more just and equitable international order.

Again, I sincerely thank Minister Vieira and the Government of Brazil for their support and engagement. We look forward to many years of fruitful cooperation and friendship."