Australian Greens Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Senator Jordon Steele-John, welcomed the Armenian Missionary Association Artsakh Representative, Mr Viktor Karapetyan to the Australian Parliament House and re-affirmed his party’s strong support for the reopening of land links between Armenia and Artsakh, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).
Karapetyan, who was visiting Australia as a Special Guest for the Armenian Missionary Association of Australia (AMAA) Annual Program, was joined by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Artsakh, Mr Kaylar Michaelian, AMAA Executive Director, Rev. Dr Krikor Youmshajekian and members of the ANC-AU National Head Office during the meeting.
The Western Australian Senator briefed the visiting delegation on his conversation with Azerbaijan’s Charge D'affaires and affirmed his party’s position remains direct and clear – Azerbaijan must open the Lachin Corridor.
Senator Steele-John took to social media in early March, alerting his followers of his meeting with the Azerbaijani Charge D’affaires, saying: “I met with Azerbaijan's charge d'affaires in Australia to strongly urge his government to open the Lachin Corridor, as ruled by the ICJ (International Court of Justice). The humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh must end.”
Karapetyan thanked the Australian Greens' Senator for his party's principled support for the people of Artsakh, standing up for human rights and international law.
“There is not a single Australian parliamentarian who has attempted to justify the Azerbaijani regime's illegal and inhumane blockade of the Republic of Artsakh. There is, however, broad support from dozens of parliamentarians for the people of Artsakh and their rights to self-determination, and Senator Jordan Steele-John is one of the cause's leading vocal supporters,” said ANC-AU Executive Director Michael Kolokossian.
“We thank the Senator for engaging in genuine dialogue on this issue with the Armenian National Committee of Australia and for outlining his intention to continue to be a voice of the voiceless,” added Kolokossian.
During his visit to the nation's capital, Viktor Karapetyan also had the opportunity to meet with co-convenors of the Australia-Armenia Inter-Parliamentary Union, Jerome Laxale MP and Paul Fletcher MP, who hosted a lunch in coordination with the ANC-AU.