After ratifying the Rome Statute, Ararat Mirzoyan will participate in the ICC Assembly for the first time
On December 2, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
For the first time since Armenia’s accession to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in February, Minister Mirzoyan will attend the 23rd session of the ICC Assembly of States Parties in The Hague. Bilateral meetings with Dutch counterparts are also planned.
Armenia officially joined the ICC on February 1, 2024. Earlier, on October 3, 2023, Armenia’s parliament ratified the Rome Statute with 60 votes from the “Civil Contract” party. President Vahagn Khachaturyan signed the statute on October 14, after which the Foreign Minister formally notified the ICC.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established based on the Rome Statute adopted in 1998 and began its work in 2002. Its jurisdiction includes prosecuting individuals responsible for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of aggression.
Among Armenia’s neighbors, Georgia signed and ratified the treaty nearly 20 years ago, while Iran signed but did not ratify it, Azerbaijan and Turkey neither signed nor ratified the statute. Three of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council—Russia, China, and the United States—have not ratified the treaty.
Armenia’s ratification sparked significant debate. This is primarily due to the ICC’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the forced deportation of Ukrainian children. The decision implies that Armenia would be obligated to arrest Putin if he entered the country. However, Armenia’s representative for international legal affairs, Yeghishe Kirakosyan, clarified that ratifying the Rome Statute does not pose a threat of arrest for Putin in Armenia.