Sargsyan Urges PACE Colleagues to Exercise Some Restraint When It Comes to Karabakh

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg Wednesday and referring to the upcoming trilateral meeting of the presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in Kazan, said no agreement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be finalized and implemented without Armenophobia and racism being eliminated in Azerbaijan.

“We all should realize that an agreement can be finalized and effectively implemented only when the patterns of Armenophobia and racism are eliminated in Azerbaijan and an atmosphere of trust is formed. Naturally, no one may question the inherent right of the people of Karabakh to live freely and safely on their land and to be the masters of their destiny,” he said.

The Armenian leader then went on to say what can be expected of the Council of Europe when it comes to the negotiation process:

“First of all, not to harm the process. The short-term impact of uninformed debates allows the parties to avoid lasting solutions that could otherwise emerge in the peace talks in the frameworks of the OSCE Minsk Group.

“I am confident that the overwhelming majority of our colleagues at the PACE, who have expressed or will express a desire to discuss any issue related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, have done or will do so out of good will. However, some can still act on the basis of inadequate information, which can indeed undermine the process. Therefore, I urge all of you to exercise some restraint. The main guidance should be the principle of causing no harm,” he said.

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“Regardless of different visions for the final resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, one thing is certain. Karabakh has been, is, and will remain a part of Europe, albeit unrecognized. Do we realize that society in Karabakh today is a part of European society, a part of the European family regardless of the de-jure status of Karabakh? Has the time not come for the Council of Europe to engage directly with Karabakh in terms of its primary functions of protection and promotion of human rights, formation of civil society, democracy, tolerance, and the like? Would it not be much more logical if the Council of Europe first engaged with Karabakh before expressing a desire to discuss matters related to Karabakh, with the participation of the people of Karabakh in such discussions?”