NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WRAPS UP DISCUSSIONS ON THE DRAFT STATEMENT ON NAGORNO KARABAKH

armradio.am
28.04.2008 17:24

The National Assembly today completed the discussions on the draft
statement on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. The factions
presented their suggestions, expressing a positive opinion about the
draft. Only the Heritage faction declared that it will not vote for
the draft, characterizing it as "untimely and belated."

Author of the draft, NA Speaker Tigran Torosyan noted that the Deputies
can still present suggestions that will be discussed. He expressed
confidence the statement will have consequences.

The its draft statement the National Assembly "suggests the President
and the Government to intensify the efforts and opportunities of
working out and implementing the arrangements directed at providing
complete information to the international community regarding the
Nagorno Karabakh issue, to give more initiative nature to the policy
directed towards the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, formulate
the legal bases within the framework of international law that will
enable Armenia to ensure the full security and defense of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic in case of Azerbaijan’s military aggression."

The draft statement is expected to be brought to a vote during
tomorrow’s sitting.

The National Assembly today refused to put on agenda the draft law on
"Recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic" introduced by the
Heritage faction. The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on
Foreign Relations had presented a negative conclusion on the draft law.

"Our Committee has suggested to delay the issue in order to holed
trilateral discussions between the National Assembly, the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and the NKR," Chairman of the Committee Armen
Rustamyan said.

NA Speaker Tigran Torosyan noted that the rejection to include the
draft law in the agenda has nothing to do with the attitude towards the
recognition of NKR. He reminded that the issue was recently discussed
during the sitting of RA NKR Interparliamentary Cooperation Commission.

According to him, "emotional speeches do not brig us closer to the
international recognition of Karabakh’s independence."