On March 5, during a government session in the National Assembly, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan addressed various issues, including negotiations with Azerbaijan, prisoner releases, and regional infrastructure. He also responded to criticism from former officials, emphasizing Armenia’s ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Mirzoyan expressed reservations about calls to suspend negotiations with Azerbaijan, particularly those made by former Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian. He stressed that Armenia remains committed to peace talks and the normalization of relations. He criticized Oskanian’s suggestion to halt negotiations, stating that such a move would be counterproductive.

Mirzoyan also addressed protests outside the Foreign Ministry, where demonstrators demanded statements on prisoner releases. He pointed out that the ministry had already made public statements and was actively working through diplomatic channels, particularly with organizations like the UN Human Rights Council, the International Red Cross, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. He noted that these international bodies had called for the immediate release of Armenian prisoners.

Regarding regional infrastructure, Mirzoyan rejected Azerbaijani claims that Armenia had failed to fulfill its commitments to unblock transportation routes. He stated that Armenia had expressed readiness to facilitate regional transport and had made concrete proposals under the "Crossroads of the World" initiative. He also emphasized that discussions on unblocking infrastructure involved broader regional cooperation, including Turkey and potential links to Central Asia.

In response to former President Robert Kocharyan’s criticism that Armenia was not cooperating sufficiently with countries like China, Mirzoyan dismissed the claim, calling it either uninformed or deliberately misleading. He highlighted Armenia’s active diplomatic engagement with China and India, including ongoing political consultations with China’s Foreign Ministry. He noted that both China’s "One Belt, One Road" initiative and Armenia’s "Crossroads of the World" initiative were aligned, and he welcomed further collaboration. Mirzoyan also mentioned that high-level visits with Chinese and Indian officials were planned for the near future.