Statement delivered by Ambassador Armen Papikyan at the 1291 PC meeting in Response to the Address by the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, George Tsereteli

26 November, 2020

We join others in welcoming the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mr. Giorgi Tsereteli, to this Permanent Council meeting. Indeed, Mr. President, since your last appearance at the Permanent Council in January this year, the world and the OSCE area in particular, have changed dramatically. The COVID-19 global pandemic, the unprecedented and unprovoked aggression of Azerbaijan against Artsakh and Armenia with the direct involvement of Turkey and Turkish-backed foreign terrorist fighters and jihadists, accompanied by numerous violations of international humanitarian law and a multitude of war crimes, have created a new situation requiring international solidarity, co-operation, practical and effective collective action, including by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

Mr. President,

We appreciate the attention paid by the Parliamentary Assembly to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including on people living in conflict areas. However, we believe that parliamentarians should pay due attention also to the “pandemic” of terrorism, including through combating the recruitment, use, financing and training of foreign terrorist fighters and mercenaries by OSCE participating States and their relocation to conflict areas in the OSCE area.

Armenia has consistently advocated and continues to advocate an exclusively peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We continue to believe that the use or threat of force cannot lead to a final and sustainable settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The trilateral statement of November 9 should be considered without prejudice to the final political settlement of the conflict, in which the legitimate right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination should be respected and implemented. Armenia will do everything in its power to ensure the protection and promotion of all rights and freedoms of the people of Artsakh, including through parliamentary diplomacy and interaction. Today, the priority task of the authorities of Armenia and Artsakh is creating conditions for the safe and dignified return of the recently displaced population of Artsakh and to ensure their safety and security, addressing urgent humanitarian, social and other issues related to the return of the civilian population to normal life.

Armenia reaffirms its commitment to a comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through negotiations, in which determination of the final political status of Nagorno-Karabakh remains a key issue, and we will continue to make intensive efforts to this end within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmanship.

We once again thank you, Mr President, for your presentation and wish you all the success in your future endeavours.

MFA RA
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