Opposition to boycott NA four-day session

The "Armenia" and "I Have Honor" factions of the National Assembly will not take part in the next four-day workweek of National Assembly, instead the MPs will go to the Republic of Artsakh and the border regions of the Republic of Armenia. The head of the "Armenia" faction Seyran Ohanyan said at the beginning of the NA session that Armenia and Artsakh are facing the most serious challenges caused by the global international crisis and the anti-Armenian behavior of Turkey and Azerbaijan: "At the rally initiated by the "Armenia" and "I Have Honor" factions, our compatriots noted red lines concerning the security of the country that no government has the right to cross. The provisions specified in the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Armenia, our territorial integrity, sovereignty are not subject to bargaining. We consider unacceptable any option for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, in which Artsakh may become part of Azerbaijan. We are sure that the authorities of the Republic of Armenia are not able to solve many internal and external problems."

Ohanyan stressed that "recent developments confirm the concern that everything is going according to the Azerbaijani-Turkish agenda, there is a threat to the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, Artsakh is under threat." According to him, the parliamentary majority doesn't respond adequately to the situation: "Based on the current situation, the parliamentary opposition, taking the NA Regulations as a basis, declares that it will not participate in the sittings and votings this week, we are going to Artsakh and the border regions of the Republic of Armenia as a continuation of direct communication with our compatriots. We will be where our country's priority agenda is." Then Ohanyan placed the flag of Artsakh on the rostrum of the National Assembly.

After Seyran Ohanyan's speech, Hayk Mamijanyan, the Secretary of the "I Have Honor" faction, also said that they will not take part in the four-day workweek of NA and will go to Artsakh.

Parliament Majority Leader Hayk Konjoryan (Civil Contract) accused the opposition in carrying out a “provocation” by boycotting the parliament session and traveling to Artsakh. He accused the opposition in exploiting the Artsakh issue and the security issues in Armenia to carry out a coup d’état in Armenia. Konjoryan cited Hayastan faction leader Seyran Ohanyan’s post-election statement where he’d said that entering to parliament is a trench for them, and they must fight in that trench. Konjoryan accused the opposition in attempting to de-value the parliament and paralyze it. “And perhaps they think they have solved their objective in this trench and now they are traveling to Artsakh to perhaps take another trench, most likely against the government and people of Armenia,” Konjoryan said.

Speaking on the opposition bringing the flag of Artsakh to parliament, Konjoryan said he doesn’t understand the demonstrative installation of the flag in Armenia against anyone. “The flag of Artsakh and Artsakh is in the hearts and thoughts of everyone. Our people sacrificed its finest children for Artsakh. And the opposition ought to install the flag of Artsakh, defend the interests of Artsakh where it is needed to raise awareness on the issue of the rights and freedoms of our compatriots in Artsakh. But what does this opposition do? They boycott all inter-parliamentary platforms where they ought to go and defend the rights and interests of Artsakh and its people, so to say raise the flag of Artsakh there for the world to see,” Konjoryan said, accusing the opposition in not fulfilling the mandate they received from the people. “Today, with this step the parliamentary opposition is not defending Artsakh but rather making a provocation, it is escalating the security issues of Artsakh and of Armenians,” Konjoryan said.

He further accused the opposition in exploiting the Artsakh issue and the security issues for carrying out a coup d’état in Armenia. “Today they are entrenching in the domestic-political life of Artsakh to generate more domestic intrigues. But we, with our people, won’t allow this,” Konjoryan said.

After the speech of the head of the "Armenia" faction Seyran Ohanyan, who also placed the flag of the Republic of Artsakh on the rostrum of the National Assembly, the MP of the "Civil Contract" faction Vahagn Aleksanyan, approaching the rostrum, removed the flag of Artsakh, noting: "When the lack of fame becomes destiny, when stupidity becomes a daily job, former defense ministers have to come with the flag of Artsakh and put this flag on the rostrum of the National Assembly."

For 30 years, instead of putting this flag in the right places, instead of ensuring the strength of this flag and the flag of Armenia, they were busy with one thing - robbery. To come here, make populist speeches about how they supposedly are the protectors of Artsakh, Armenia and are the only ones concerned, but in fact, for 30 years, shouting the same thing, they have enriched their pockets and the pockets of their own families," Aleksanyan said.

MFA of France and US Embassy in Armenia expressed their positions over the future of the OSCE Minsk Group

France reaffirms its full commitment to the establishment of peace and stability in the South Caucasus region both on a bilateral basis and as President of the Council of the European Union and Co-Chair of the Minsk Group, the French Foreign Ministry said, when asked to comment on what is its position over the future of the OSCE Minsk Group.

“France reaffirms its full commitment to the establishment of peace and stability in the South Caucasus region both on a bilateral basis and as President of the Council of the European Union and Co-Chair of the Minsk Group.

France continues to work with Armenia and Azerbaijan in this capacity, so that progress is ensured in humanitarian issues, and continues supporting the works aimed at the delimitation of borders, the process on eliminating the isolation of the region, the preservation of heritage, the signing of a peace treaty between the two countries and the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. For that purpose, at the initiative of the President of the Republic, a meeting in a video conference mode was organized on February 4 with the Prime Minister of Armenia, the President of Azerbaijan and the President of the European Council. The French Co-Chair of the Minsk Group is in Yerevan these days on a working visit”, the statement says.

United States stands ready to engage bilaterally and with like-minded partners, including through our role as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, to help the countries find a long-term comprehensive peace, the US Embassy in Armenia told ARMENPRESS, commenting on the recent announcement of the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the Minsk Group Co-chairs’ format.

“We welcomed the April 6 meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Aliyev in Brussels, including positive momentum on preparations for peace talks and the formation of a bilateral commission on border delimitation. The United States remains committed to promoting a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous future for the South Caucasus region. As the Secretary emphasized in his recent calls with the two leaders on April 5, we continue to encourage further peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and reiterate the United States stands ready to engage bilaterally and with like-minded partners, including through our role as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, to help the countries find a long-term comprehensive peace.”

EU Special Representative for South Caucasus holds phone calls with Secretary of Security Council of Armenia, Azerbaijani FM and Assistant to President of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held a telephone conversation with EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar. As a continuation of the meeting of the heads of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Brussels with the mediation and participation of the President of the EU Council, Bayramov and Klaar discussed the latest developments in the region, steps aimed at settling relations between the two countries, including the preparation of a future peace treaty, and exchanged views on humanitarian issues. 

Toivo Klaar informed that he held telephone conversations with the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan and Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev.

"EU fully supports engagement between Armenia and Azerbaijan," Klaar wrote on Twitter.

Other News

• Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire in Parukh, as a result of which a serviceman was wounded. RF MoD

• This action contradicts the Trilateral Statement of November 9: RA MFA statement on the ban on the entry of opposition MPs to Artsakh

• EU has accepted the realities of the post-conflict period. Ilham Aliyev

• Armen Pambukhchyan appointed Minister of Emergency Situations