Author: Varazdat Torgomian

Charles Michel's statement on the results of the trilateral meeting held recently in Brussels is a reason for bewilderment from the point of view of distorting the essence of the settlement of the Karabakh problem and heritage, 4 factions of the Artsakh Parliament said in a statement.

The statement says, in part:

The unified position of the people and authorities of Artsakh was presented in the statement of the National Assembly dated April 14 of this year, thereby confirming that the agendas of discussions and negotiations held in international instances are acceptable to us only if they are comparable with the provisions set out in the above statement.

Charles Michel's statement on the results of the recent trilateral meeting in Brussels is a reason for bewilderment from the point of view of distorting the essence of the settlement of the Karabakh problem and the legacy accumulated over 30 years of the negotiation process.

For the first time in the negotiation discourse, an attempt is made to abandon the political and geographical concept of "Nagorno-Karabakh" and the phrase "ethnic Armenian population of Karabakh" is introduced into circulation. All this is completely in tune with the theses spread by the leadership of Azerbaijan before the Brussels meeting and recently in general and testifies to the retreat of the current authorities of Armenia from the foreign policy vector.

The active role of the Council of Europe in the issue of opening the “epoch of peace” between Armenia and Azerbaijan at an accelerated pace could be understood if the response to the aggression provoked by Azerbaijan against the people of the Republic of Artsakh in September 2020 would be heard with the same consistency. The emphasis on security and protection of rights during the 44-day war would be acceptable to some extent for the people of Artsakh, who are defending their sovereignty.

In the current circumstances, the authorities of Armenia are obliged to act solely from the standpoint of promoting and protecting the right of the Artsakh people to self-determination in international instances, based on the decision of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia on July 8, 1992, according to which “any domestic or international document is unacceptable for Armenia, in which Nagorno-Karabakh is celebrated as part of Azerbaijan.”

For the authorities acting both in Artsakh and Armenia, the priority should be declarations on the proclamation of two Armenian republics, the values enshrined in the decision of September 2, 1991, and the independence referendum of December 10, 1991. Not a single official, not a single political force is authorized to independently decide the future of the Motherland, for the formation of which thousands of the sons of our people did not spare their lives.

We are faced with the imperative of making historic decisions, and no one can evade responsibility to generations.

US envoy to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin said law enforcement must refrain from using disproportionate force.

"I sent regular letters to international colleagues, ambassadors accredited in Armenia with a request to give an appropriate response. In particular, the head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, responded to my letter," Taguhi Tovmasyan, head of the parliament standing committee on protection of human rights, wrote on her Facebook.

She, in particular, noted that the violence used by the security forces against citizens protesting through peaceful actions in today's Armenia is of a long-term nature. The policeman allows himself to spit at the demonstrator, pull the deputies.

"EU Ambassador Andrea Victorin, in particular, responded to my letters, emphasizing that she discussed the issues raised with the Minister of Justice of Armenia, who said that some cases were already being considered. Viktorin noted that law enforcement agencies and the police should refrain from using disproportionate force. It is important that people be free to express their opinions and that the media freely perform their professional duties. It is also very important that all parties condemn any form of violence that comes from both sides," Tovmasyan noted.

In particular cases, Wiktorin did not give any assessments, noting that this is a matter for law enforcement agencies and courts. The duty of citizens and civil servants is to comply with the laws and the Constitution of Armenia, which protect human rights, as well as clarify their duties. In her letter, the ambassador says that she is also aware of the incident in Gyumri, where, despite the calls of opposition leaders to hold a peaceful rally, according to information, young oppositionists used violence against four men aged 74-84.

Wiktorin urged the protesters to refrain from insults and provocations.