DELEGATION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN SAINT PETERSBURG

National Assembly of RA
April 16 2010
Armenia

The RA NA delegation led by NA Vice Speaker Arevik Petrosyan on April
5-8, 2010 took part in Saint Petersburg in a number of events of the
CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and CSTO Parliamentary Assembly. The
delegation comprised of NA deputies Vahan Hovhannisyan, Artak Davtyan,
Hrayr Karapetyan, Eduard Sharmazanov and Ara Nranyan.

On April 6 the Head of the Armenian delegation Arevik Petrosyan
took part in the 34th plenary session of the Council of the CIS
Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, where a number of important decisions
were adopted, and the Armenian MPs took part in the works of the
permanent commissions.

On April 7 in the Duma Hall of the Tavricheskiy Palace the 34th plenary
session of the Council of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly was
held. The speeches of the representatives of CIS member states were
dedicated to the legal-social protection of the Great Patriotic
War veterans.

On the same day an International Parliamentary Conference dedicated
to the 65th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War,
in which take part heads and representatives of PACE and other
international organizations. NA Vice Speaker Arevik Petrosyan gave a
speech in the Conference. She highly assessed the common victory, which
was gained at the price of big human, spiritual and material losses,
which saved the mankind from slavery and predetermined its further
destiny. In the destruction of the great victory and fascism among
the numerous nations the Armenian people also had their significant
contribution. About 600.000 Armenians took part in the Great Patriotic
War, from which 300.000 people died in the battlefield. The Armenian
people gave a wonderful example of military glory to the world 3
marshals and one admiral, more than 80 generals and vice admiral and
108 heroes. About 70.000 Armenians were awarded military orders and
medals. During the war years the contribution of the Armenian people
had also been great in the rear in the development of the fundamental
sciences and organization of production.

Mrs. Petrosyan noted that in our days more than ever the mankind
highlights and assesses the role and importance on non-use of force,
development of inter-ethnic dialogue, peaceful coexistence.

According to NA Vice Speaker’s assessment, the World War II once again
proved that any crime perpetrated against humanity and not condemned,
brings forth a new crime. He reminded Hitler’s words pronounced in
1939 before the Chief Command: "The aim of the war is not to reach
certain borders, but the enemy’s physical destruction. Who, after all,
today remembers and speaks of the annihilation of the Armenians?" The
latter meant the Genocide of 1,5 million Armenians that was perpetrated
in the Ottoman Empire and Western Armenia in 1915. Mrs.

Petrosyan added that the victory of the World War II in its turn
proved that those, who commit crime against humanity, sooner or later,
answer, get punished and condemned.

On April 7 Vahan Hovhannisyan gave a speech on the agenda fourth
issue ‘The Role of the Parliaments in Preventing the Conflicts’ of
the joint sitting of the permanent commissions on Political Issues
and International Cooperation and on Defense and Security Issues.

According to his assessment, the contradiction of the two principles
of the international law, territorial integrity and the rights of
the nations’ self-determination and their opposing is artificial. The
principle of territorial integrity should act between the sovereign
countries, and the right of the nations’ self-determination should be
applied in all cases, when the oppressed nation decides to separate
and create its own state.

Thus, these two principles act on different planes. The Nagorno
Karabakh Republic is the brilliant example of the second way.

The delegation of the National Assembly with the delegations of the CIS
states took part in the solemn mourning ceremony in Piskarev Pantheon.

On the same day the International Parliamentary Conference on the
theme ‘The Future of the European Security’ was held, which the CIS
Inter-Parliamentary Assembly organized jointly with PACE. In the
plenary session Vahan Hovhannisyan gave a speech. He considered
unacceptable the use of the double standards towards different
countries and the subjects having right of self-determination, in
particular, Nagorno Karabakh. Such differentiated and unrealistic
approach excludes not only the just solution, but also ignores the
truth. According to the speaker, as just approach is not applied in
such issues, there is no word about the reliable system of security.

The work of the International Parliamentary Conference continued
in separate sections, where NA deputies Eduard Sharmazanov and Ara
Nranyan gave speeches.

According to Eduard Sharmazanov’s assessment, the problem of the
Eurasian and regional security should be solved in accordance with
international norms and principles and everybody’s joint efforts. And
the distinct position of RA President Serzh Sargsyan in establishing
relations with the neighbouring Turkey without preconditions is aimed
at the settlement of this problem. Regarding the accusation of the
Turkish MP of digging the history Mr. Sharmazanov opposed saying that
the they dig the history, trying to make the historical commission
an arena for discussing the issue of being or not being the Armenian
Genocide, an evident fact, which has no need of proof and is not a
subject of discussion.

The NA deputy Ara Nranyan spoke about the necessity of improving
the system of the European security. We are often proposed schematic
and superficial solutions of the regulation of the conflicts without
going deep in their sources and reasons, without realizing the main
conditions of the nations’ survival. Mr. Nranyan considered the
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh issue by such approach.

During the works of the International Parliamentary Conference the Head
of RA NA delegation, NA Vice Speaker Arevik Petrosyan and the member
of the delegation, the Head of the ARF faction Vahan Hovhannisyan
gave interview to Mir TV Company.