NK GETS PARLIAMENTARY GROUP

Lragir.am
22/12/09

On Thursday 3rd December 2009 , a new "British-Nagorno Karabagh
All-Party Parliamentary Group"was launched in Committee Room 2 of
the House of Lords , British Parliament.

The instigator is Viscount John Desmond Waverley , a former member of
the British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group , who is engaged
now in creating a Parliamentary Group for a country to which he cannot
gain entrance but was able to visit in 1996 ONLY when he posed as
a dedicated member of the British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary
Group and was welcomed by the Karabagh Authorities , upon the Armenian
Group`s recommendation .

In the British Parliament , hundreds of Parliamentary Groups are
founded by Parliamentarians who declare their interest in the most
varied issues : slimming , whiskey , ageing , cancer, retail ,
digital TV , mental health … the list is unexhaustible . But one
factor remains invariably common to all these Groups : the subject
about which a Parliamentary Group can be founded MUST EXIST ! and by
initiating the British-Nagorno Karabagh All-Party Parliamentary Group ,
Lord Waverley and Baroness Symons have acknowledged the existence of
the Republic of Nagorno-Karabagh , obviously aware of the fact that
during a Referendum in 1991 the people of Nagorno-Karabagh declared
their independence and have , since then , held five presidential
and four parliamentary elections confirmed by International Observers
to be in compliance with International Electoral Standards and with
utmost transparency .

It is of grave concern to the Armenian Group that Baroness Symons and
Lord Waverley have contacted neither the Elected Representatives of
Nagorno Karabagh , nor the Armenian Embassy in UK nor the Committee
Members of the Armenian Parliamentary Group to receive accurate
information about the situation in that country . By not including
the Karabagh Authorities participation , all their future statements
will lack accuracy and will create a unique precedent in the annals
of the British Parliament : initiating a Parliamentary Group without
its subject being involved in the process!

Lord Waverley and Baroness Symons must bear full responsibility
and face the consequences of the great danger that any inadequately
informed statement by their Group might harm , delay or jeopardise the
current process of peaceful settlement advocated by the International
Organisations who are engaged in the possible resolution of this very
complex conflict . Organisations to which Britain is an active and
concerned Member.

The Armenian Group would welcome the cooperation of this newly
formed Group with its Members, with the Members of the Parliament of
Nagorno-Karabagh and the Diplomatic Corps of the Armenian Embassy
and would encourage active correspondence , exchange of policy
and information by facilitating a visit to Karabagh of British
Parliamentarians ( including Members of the Karabagh Group), where
they will be able to obtain the true understanding of that country ,
its culture , history and aspirations .