Karabakh issue will not be discussed at Euronest session
Baku hosts the plenary session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly (PA). The Armenian and Azerbaijani delegates have agreed to abstain from statements that might hinder the routine of the session.
"We have reached a gentleman's agreement with the Azerbaijani side not to include on the agenda issues that may hinder the work of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly," head of the Armenian delegation Vahan Hovhannisyan told 1newz.az.
"Euronest is not a platform to discuss or resolve conflicts. The Eastern Partnership (EaP) is a project that aims to bring the EaP countries closer to EU standards. Euronest is not a place to discuss and resolve conflicts," he said.
The Armenian delegation includes Artak Zakaryan (Co-Chair of the Committee on Social Affairs), Manvel Badeyan, Hovhannes Sahakyan (Republican Party of Armenia), Aram Safaryan, naira Zohrabyan (Prosperous Armenia Party), Khachik harutyunyan (Country of Law), Lilit Galstyan (Armenian Revolutionary Federation -Dashnaktsutyun).
V. Hovhannisyan: "Azerbaijan had better think of compromises"
"Azerbaijan has always been wealthier than Armenia, yet Armenia can afford to protect itself," Vahan Hovhannisyan told Azerbaijani journalists in Baku.
"The current status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue - the "neither peace nor war" situation- cannot last for ever. Surely, relative peace is better than war. After each phase of talks, we hear that Azerbaijan's military budget exceeds Armenia's total budget and Azerbaijan spends large sums on armament. This makes some Azerbaijani officials conclude that the Karabakh issue can be solved through war.
However, I do think (at least, the Azerbaijani military officials should know it), that the money spent by Azerbaijan on buying offensive weapons exceeds the modest means that Armenia spends on its defense system. Of course, Azerbaijan has always been richer than Armenia and will be like that in the foreseeable future. But Armenia will never be so poor as to not think of its defense system. Therefore, I suggest that Azerbaijan think of compromises," said Mr. Hovhannisyan.
