Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway Anniken Huitfeldt says the footage showing the execution of Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijanis is “gut-wrenching”. She states that those responsible for such crimes must be held to account.

“The videos that have surfaced of Azerbaijanis executing unarmed Armenians are gut-wrenching, and this is why we had to react. I repeat that those responsible for such crimes must be held to account”, the Norwegian FM said in an interview to ARMENPRESS, in the framework of her official visit to Armenia. 

The Minister said she was encouraged by the recent statement after the quadrilateral meeting in Prague, where the Armenian Prime Minister and the Azerbaijani President reiterated that they recognize each other’s country’s territorial integrity. “This is an important step in the right direction towards a peaceful solution”, Anniken Huitfeldt said.

Norway follows closely the talks on a possible peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, she said. Anniken Huitfeldt believes that lasting peace can only happen through negotiations.

During her meeting with her Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in Yerevan, FM Anniken Huitfeldt also reaffirmed the readiness of Norway to support Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Speaking about the humanitarian challenges caused both by the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh and the recent aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia, the Norwegian FM said: “We understand the difficult situation many Armenians find themselves in, in these challenging times for your country. We are already involved in some humanitarian support projects in the region, which also benefit ethnic Armenians. One of the purposes of my visit here today is to understand better if and how Norway may be of assistance, and to find new areas of cooperation”.

As for the relations between Armenia and Norway and the priorities of Norway in Armenia and the region, the Minister said they are encouraged by Armenia’s dedication to democratic reform.

“It is a brave choice, in a complex region, in a difficult time. The purpose of my trip is partly to explore how Norway can support you in this. We want to expand our bilateral relations with our Armenian friends, based on common values. We also believe that a peaceful and prosperous South Caucasus is important, not only to the countries in the region themselves but also to Europe and Norway”, the FM said.

Anniken Huitfeldt assured that Norway will continue to support the Council of Europe’s action plan for Armenia. “CoE, EBRD, and some international human rights organizations are our main channels for support to your important reforms. Our priorities for support in the region are rule of law, democracy, human rights, and the environment”, she added.