Armenpress

KARABAKH PARLIAMENT HOLDS HEARINGS ON THE CONFLICT
RESOLUTION PROSPECTS

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS: Parliamentary
hearings on prospects for settling the Karabakh
conflict began today in the National Assembly of the
Nagorno-Karabakh republic. The hearings are attended
also by parliament members from Armenia.
Parliament chairman Ashot Ghulian said the presence
of counterparts from Armenia signified the importance
of the hearings. Foreign minister of Karabakh Georgy
Petrosian said this were the first hearings of that
type and they were important as they would allow
lawmakers to shape a clear-cut position on the ongoing
related process. He said the core of this problem is
that Azerbaijan did not respect the right of the
people of Karabakh to self-determination and
retaliated in 1988 by ethnic cleansing.
Petrosian said the international community’s
position on this issue is wrong because it did not
acknowledge so far the outcome of the 1991 referendum
in Karabakh that decided to separate from Azerbaijan.
Armen Rustamian from the Armenian parliament, said
Armenians have to foil Baku’s efforts to shift the
conflict resolution efforts from the OSCE to other
international organizations. He said the conflict
should be solved through diplomacy and peaceful means
and slammed Azeri leaders for their incessant war
rhetoric.