Foreign Affairs committee  I'll give the short answer and turn it to Andreas quickly. Yes, I believe they could play a role, and we would support any honest broker who can bring the two sides together. I'll turn to Andreas, who has actually been in the region.

Foreign Affairs committee  Yes. Our embassy reports on these issues regularly. The visit of Ambassador Jacqueline O'Neill in March will also be an opportunity to further gather information and identify what further steps we can take to support those communities, because obviously it's a priority for Canada.

Foreign Affairs committee  I would point to Minister Joly's pragmatic diplomacy speech, if I could call it, from a few months ago, wherein she pointed to the need to reach out to not our usual, comfortable partners. That goes to your point of addressing those questions as well.

Foreign Affairs committee  In that regard I'd note that on February 23, Armenia announced it was suspending its participation in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, CSTO. Russia's standing in the region is very much diminished. I don't think I'm telling tales out of school when I say that Armenia was extremely disappointed that the Russian peacekeepers failed to do what Armenia expected them to do, during both the 10-month blockade and the actual conflict.

Foreign Affairs committee  Frankly, there is a lot of fear to overcome. There are decades of hostility and conflict that need to be overcome. Certainly our position, as I noted, is that their right to return needs to be reinforced. It needs to be a real right they can exercise without fear and with measures put in place to ensure that property rights and human rights are respected.

Foreign Affairs committee  I do not have insight into what is on the table between the two parties, but I would imagine it may be being discussed.

Foreign Affairs committee  Yes. While it's too early to announce the particular individual, we have had individuals interviewed to participate in the mission. We have one person in the pipeline, so to speak, undergoing the process. That will definitely give us added insights and increase our credibility, I would say.

Foreign Affairs committee  Our position is that we strongly support the peace negotiations that are ongoing, and we look to the two countries to come to a negotiated, long-standing peace accord that reflects the principles I laid out in my opening statement—a peaceful resolution, self-determination and territorial integrity.

Foreign Affairs committee  We continue to support the efforts of those involved in the peace negotiations. We continue to deliver consistent messaging, which I've just stated, of support for the two sides in coming to a long-standing peace agreement. One of the issues, frankly, is that both sides in the negotiations have their preferred format or sponsors to mediate.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you for the opportunity to meet with the committee today. As you noted, I'm joined by Andreas Weichert. I thought I'd begin with a quick recap of key events from the past several months. To recall, on September 19, 2023, after a 10-month blockade, Azerbaijan launched a military operation against self-armed militias in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.