ACQUAINTING VISIT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER TO THE NKR

Member of the European Parliament, main Reporter on Armenia’s issues Tomash Poreba is on an acquainting visit to the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (Republic of Artsakh).

On December 19, NKR President Bako Sahakian received Tomash Poreba. According to the Central Information Department of the NKR President’s Office, issues related to the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement, the situation in the region, and the bilateral relations were discussed at the meeting.

It was mutually noted that the peaceful settlement of the conflict had no alternatives and a full-fledged dialogue should be established between all the parties to the conflict for achieving final stability in the region.

The head of state and Tomash Poreba noted the significant role of Europe in maintaining peace and stability in the region, emphasizing the necessity of giving a new impetus to the relations between different European structures and Artsakh. In this context, the meeting participants emphasized the importance of the visits to the NKR for creating a clear idea of the situation in the Republic and the whole region.

Chairman of the NKR NA Ashot Ghulian also received the main Reporter on Armenia’s issues.

According to the NKR NA Press Service, the European Parliament Member noted that while preparing a report, he focused on the Karabakh issue in the context of the political processes taking place in the RA and the region and intended to get acquainted with the positions of both the authorities and people of Nagorno Karabakh in place.

In his turn, the Parliament Speaker noted the importance of the European Parliament Member’s visit to the NKR.

«It is the second recent visit of EP representative to our country, which allows to suppose that the interest of the international community, represented by this authoritative structure, towards the Karabakh settlement has increased», he said.

Ashot Ghulian noted that the NKR people was building its independent and sovereign state, basing on the general international norms and following the European standards of state building.

«Nagorno Karabakh has managed to achieve considerable progress in this issue in a short period, without any outer support, including the one of international structures», he emphasized.

Speaking of the Karabakh conflict settlement, the Speaker noted that the lack of any progress in the negotiation process under the OSCE Minsk Group auspice was mainly caused by its format’s deficiency, lacking one of the parties to the conflict – the NKR.

Tomash Poreba also met with Chairman of the NKR Public Organization of Refugees Sarasar Sarian and some members of this organization.

The EP Member informed the meeting participants of his intention to include in his report on Armenia the issue of Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan, that’s why he wished to get the corresponding information in Nagorno Karabakh as well.

The Chairman and members of the NKR Public Organization of Refugees informed the EP Member about the sufferings of the Armenian population of Azerbaijan in 1988-1990. They noted that only due to their being Armenians, over 500.000 citizens of the Republic had to emigrate as a result of the pogroms and deportation organized on a state level, leaving their houses, property, and money collected from generation to generation, thinking only about their own and their children’s life-saving.

«In Azerbaijan, the most fundamental human value – the human right to life – was under a threat, which, unfortunately, didn’t then concern the international community at all. Our situation didn’t either concern the powerful states, and especially the European structures, in the following years. As a result, the refugees from Azerbaijan, who found refuge in Nagorno Karabakh, having no status of refugee established by the international norms, have been deprived of any foreign humanitarian assistance, and only the authorities of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have supported their deported compatriots in every possible way for many years», noted members of the NKR Public Organization of Refugees.