Secretary-General Welcomes Peaceful Nature of Events Unfolding in Armenia Following Prime Minister’s Resignation, Encourages Focus on Dialogue

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General has been following the recent developments in Armenia.  He has taken note of today’s resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan.

The Secretary-General welcomes the peaceful nature of the unfolding events and encourages all relevant actors to continue to exercise restraint and prioritize dialogue.  At this important time for Armenia, the Secretary-General calls for the continued respect of the rule of law and human rights, as well as for the maintenance of peace and stability in Armenia and the wider region.

The Secretary-General seizes this opportunity to echo the recent appeal by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs urging all sides to prevent any potential escalations along the Line of Contact and to intensify efforts toward a peaceful negotiated solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.