Epress.am News from Armenia
Armenian National Congress (HAK) MP Nikol Pashinyan in parliament today declared the need for parliamentary hearings on Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev's statement and tension on the Armenian-Azerbaijan border, as he believes there is a possible causal relationship between these issues.
According to Pashinyan, the foreign affairs minister must be present at the hearings and explain to MPs what mutual obligations CSTO members have and what is Yerevan's official position on the incidents that occurred when the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council met in Astana.
Recall, Nazarbayev (pictured) on May 29 read a letter from Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, stating that Armenia joined the World Trade Organization on the condition that its provisions should be extended to the territory of Armenia, within the scope of the country's UN-recognized borders (that is, without Karabakh), and the same must be applied to its membership to the Eurasian Economic Union.
HAK MP Hrant Bagratyan, in turn, said Armenia was confronted with the Karabakh issue in 1996, when it joined the WTO, but it didn't interfere with the process.
"They wanted to remove us from the process altogether, [but] we asked, 'OK, the world has said the Karabakh issue is not clear politically, but what do you want economically?' The WTO contacted Azerbaijan: will they change the front line so that Karabakh can trade with the world? Azerbaijan said no. That is, Karabakh's economic activity is lawful. Foreign affairs minister Edward Nalbandian shouldve known all this. For the foreign minister to know these things, he has to come ask me — from those who were in the negotiations. Ask, how is it that the Armenian dram was used in the territory of Karabakh? It must be asked," said Bagratyan.
National Assembly President Galust Sahakyan said hearings will be held on these issues most likely on June 16 or 17.