Parliamentary dialogue was deemed vital element on Karabakh peace agenda in 1994 – Ashot Ghulyan

Dialogue among parliamentarians was perceived as a vital element of reaching final peace when signing the 1994 ceasefire accord over Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), the speaker of the country's National Assembly said today, greeating the participants of a peace forum.

In his speech at the Cooperation for Justice and Peace conference, Ashot Ghulyan praised especially their  active role in fostering cooperation with international partners. "Dialogues and ties on the parliamentary level are gaining an increasing importance in the case of Artsakh - in the light of our restricted opportunities stemming form the unrecognized [status]," he said.

Introducing his report entitled Artsakh's Parliamentary Diplomacy: New Opportunities, Ghulyan also elaborated on their activities in the foreign policy domain and the opportunities for intensifying the work.

He also appreciated the effors by parliamnetary groups - as well as their individuals members - in finalizing the 1994 ceasefire accord after lasting negotiations.

"Proclaiming itself as a parliamentary democracy, our country's chief lawmaking body – the Supreme Council at the time – has played its important role in in terms of elaborating and pursuing both domestic and foreign policies since the early days of independence. It is notable that ever since, parliamentarians have been actively engaged in the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict settlement talks aiming, particlarly, at the establishment of ceasefire. In this context, a special priority should be given to the trilateral meetings organized on May 4-5, 1994 in Bishkek [Kyrgyzstan] upon the initiative of the inter-parliamentary commission," he said.

Ghulyan admitted that the dominating understanding at the time was focused on the vitality of conducting the dialogue not only between the military and diplomatic leaderships but also among parliamnetarians enjoying their voters' popular mandate (given that any document agreed with their intervention would impart an extra legitimacy to the process).

"Those activities culminated in a more active phase in 2012, a period which, not surprisingly at all, marked our first achievements. The Australian State of New South Wales, the Basques Country, the parliaments of nine US states, as well as the municipal councils of several cities adopted resolutions in support to the Artsakh people's right to a free and independent statehood. The same documents unanimously affirm the willingness and resoluteness of the Artsakh Republic to achieve a peaceful solutiton to the existing problems in the region and establishing constructive ties with the international community," Ghulyan said.

He added that the National Assembly of Artsakh is currently developing friendship with legislators from Lithuania, France, Australia and Belgium and French-speaking countries while having also scientific and social circles, and friendship groups with the European Parliament, Belgium, Flandria and Canada.  

"I intentionally omit the cooperation with the Armeniam National Assembly's parliamentary commission, as it marks the highest level of cooperation between the parliaments of the two Armenian republics. And those relations are never restricted to the political agenda alone," he added.

Ghulyan also thanked all the friends of Artsakh and Diaspora organizations, extending a special gratitude to the Armenian National Committees and the pro-Artsakh groups. "I have no doubt that this conference, entitled Cooperation for Justice and Peace, will be a useful plaftorm for our friends united in Artsakh, enabling them to not only gain a closer knowledge of Artsakh to refresh their ideas but also to communicate and exchange thoughst and opinions with over issues of mutual interest and to outline the future plans," he added.