PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS TOOK PLACE IN NAGORNO KARABAKH
Support A1+!Hearings on subject “Karabakh problem: settlement perspectives” took place in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic National Assembly. Besides NKR NA deputies, a parliamentary delegation from Armenia headed by Chairman of the Permanent Commission on Foreign Relations of the RA National Assembly Armen Roustamian, a number of Armenian political scientists and experts, representatives of the NKR non-governmental sector took part in the hearings.
The hearings were opened by Chairman of the NKR NA Permanent Commission on Foreign Relations Vahram Atanesian. Chairman of the Parliament Ashot Ghoulian greeted the participants.
The Speaker, in particular, noted that Artsakh had always been and remained in the centre of the Armenian world’s attention. At the same time, he noted the importance of defining the positions and opinions of the groups and factions represented in the Parliament, the political forces of the NKR on the process of the Karabakh conflict settlement, possible developments in the context of the Karabakh problem. According to Ashot Ghoulian, the hearings will become an important prerequisite for organizing similar discussions on the key issues of the Karabakh settlement in future.
“For the people and authorities of the NKR, the solution of the problem starts from the results of the 1991 referendum, according to which the Armenians of Artsakh unambiguously said “yes” to the idea of independence accepting building of an independent statehood as a strategy. Naturally, the activity of the whole political system including that of the NKR National Assembly is directed to the achievement of this aim”, Ashot Ghoulian said.
In his speech, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Georgy Petrossian noted that the disrespect for the right of the Nagorno Karabakh people lay in the base of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. In this context, he stressed that when the Karabakh people claimed its right on self-determination the political demand transferred into ethnic cleanings by Azerbaijan. At the same time, the Minister noted that “independence is not an end in itself for the NKR but a possibility to live and develop on its own land”.
Georgy Petrossian noted that when the political process did not consider the right of a people, a collision of interests of the parties took place. At the same time, the Minister stressed that Baku had actually transferred the solution of the problem from the political field into the field of military confrontation. He expressed pity that the mediators ignored the results of the referendum on independence in Nagorno Karabakh.
The head of the Karabakh Foreign Ministry spoke for signing an agreement by the parties on giving up force usage.
Answering the questions of the hearings participants, the Minister noted that the Karabakh party was always aware of the contents of the negotiations between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. At the same time, Georgy Petrossian stressed that it did not mean that the Karabakh party agreed with all the issues.
The Minister stressed the inadmissibility of using “the Karabakh card” with any personal or corporative views.
