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Under the Article 70 of the RA Constitution, on the National Assembly deputies' inititiative an extraordinary session of the RA National Assembly was held on September 5 on the initiator’s established agenda.

There was one item on the agenda of the extraordinary session: the RA NA Statement on transferring to Azerbaijan by the Hungarian authorities the criminal, who killed the Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan during the NATO seminar in Budapest in February 2004 and the pardon granted to him by the Azerbaijani President.

The Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan presented the draft statement.

The speaker said that the working group, which was created by the decision adopted during the consultation held by the NA President Hovik Abrahamyan with participation of the NA political forces two days ago, has elaborated the draft. Artak Zakaryan also said that there were disagreements on some items of the statement, to which the deputies would probably touch upon during the exchange of thoughts, and the final text of the statement would be adopted as a result of debates.

Before turning to the NA deputies’ exchange of thoughts on the issue under debate the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Eduard Sharmazanov presiding over the NA session, said that on July 4 the NA deputy Ruben Hayrapetyan had applied for resignation to the President of the National Assembly. Under the Article 13 of the RA Law “NA Rules of Procedure,” if the deputy does not take back his application on resignation within 15 days in written form, a protocol is made up with NA President’s signature on suspending his authorities and sent to the Central Electoral Commission within 5 days.

The National Assembly continued the debates on the draft statement. 29 deputies have been registered for exchange of thoughts.

All speakers condemned the behaviour shown by the Hungarian authorities, Azerbaijan’s illegal step, its unleashed anti-Armenian animosity, the violation of human rights guaranteed by international legal documents and the atmosphere of hatred rooted by Azerbaijan towards the Armenians on a state level. The Azerbaijani President’s decree on releasing as a rough violation “On Convicts’ Transfer.”

Some deputies made proposals on making amendments in the draft statement.

Vahan Hovhannisyan proposed to express distinct and rough position on Azerbaijan’s arbitrariness by violating international legal norms for non “adequate” assessments of the international influential structures and include in the statement the recommendation on Azerbaijan’s responsibility of impeding the peaceful negotiations.

Edmon Marukyan asked to propose conditions to Hungary, and in case of their fulfillment the diplomatic relations with it can be restored.

According to Karen Avagyan, we should include the issue of making Nagorno Karabakh again participant in the negotiations, as well as suspending the membership of Azerbaijan to the UN.

Koryun Nahapetyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs, proposed to initiate an additional protocol of the CoE Convention “On the Convicts’ Extradition” in order to prevent and exclude such cases in general. The deputy proposed to apply to the European Court.

The deputy of the RPA faction Hayk Babukhanyan proposed to apply to the European Union and NATO with the request of suspending the partnership relations and programmes with Azerbaijan.

In their speeches the deputies deemed important as a component of parliamentarism the possibility of making a statement. The MPs also underlined the necessity of national and ideological consolidation.

Touching upon the text of the statement representative of the Heritage faction Alexander Arzumanyan noted the National Assembly should be more “radical”in the wordings, as did the Head of the country, who voiced rather sharp assessments, as the case was unprecedented. In his opinion, the National Assembly should urge the Head of the country to discuss the expediency of recognition of Nagorno Karabakh.

The deputy of the RPA faction Khosrov Harutyunyan proposed to include characteristics on the current government of Hungary in the NA statement.

Artashes Geghamyan made a proposal on the statement, opining that the RA parliament should enjoy all the assessments sounded by the Head of the republic on the case in the recent days.

The NA President Hovik Abrahamyan proposed to continue and cover the agenda of the extraordinary session without interval.

As a result of voting, the parliament adopted the NA President’s proposal.

The RA Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian introduced their views on the NA draft statement and created situation.

In Hrayr Tovmasyan’s word, the steps to be taken will be consistent and balanced, and the community would be informed on them.

Edward Nalbandian noted that on the Armenian party’s initiative on August 28 there were meetings in the Foreign Ministry of Hungary, where they had ensured that such step was excluded.

The NA factions introduced their stances and proposals on the draft statement.

In the opinion of Rubik Hakobyan, Head of the Heritage faction, the draft statement is weak: we shall make amendments and specify the claims.

Aghvan Vardanyan presented the view of the ARF faction, and noted they would vote for the draft statement.

The Head of the Rule of Law faction Heghine Bisharyan, Levon Zurabyan from the Armenian National Congress (ANC) faction, Stepan Margaryan, from the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), Galust Sahakyan, Head of the RPA faction said that their factions would vote for the draft statement.

The RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan delivered a speech on the draft statement:

Dear colleagues,

The bellicose neighbour Azerbaijan of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh with its last step, pardoning the murderer, who was sentenced to the severest punishment on the ethnic ground, created a dangerous precedent, when the oil dollars were served for discrediting the European justice system, which is not only compatible for the progressive Europe, but also for the whole world in general.

After all this it’s difficult to consider groundless the information that Azerbaijan allocates financial means at state level for financing the extremist organizations ion its territory and outside. That is, that country with its work style presents danger for the international community, international structures and its counterparts.

Unfortunately, there are also authorities, among them also in the heart of Europe that don’t resist the temptation of the oil dollars, which happened days ago with the justice system and authorities of Hungary, which went against not only law, but morality, conscience and reason. Being well aware of the statements sounding through many years making as a hero act Ramil Safarov and his mean deed, signed a political deal with the Azerbaijani authorities.

If Azerbaijan’s pride is the mean murderer, who treacherously killed the sleeping man, who represents that country and that army, then Artsakh is proud of its independent statehood achieved by liberation fighting and the spirit guaranteeing its continuity and combating army.

Recently Artsakh solemnly celebrated the 21^st anniversary of its independence. It celebrated with confidence, resoluteness, once again showing the world that not being recognized de jure, is a state absolutely exceeding its neighbouring Azerbaijan with the standards of democracy de facto.

The NKR independence is no more a irreversible reality, and the NKR year by year more strengthens the bases of its statehood. The reality that Nagorno Karabakh cannot be part of Azerbaijan, it’s clear not only for Armenian and Azerbaijani people, not only for all Armenians, but also for the international community. And the last decrees by Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev put under question the expediency of speaking about compromises, once again documenting that Azerbaijan can never be a guarantor of physical security of Artsakh population.

Dear deputies,

We have noted in different occasions that Azerbaijan is an unreliable and distrustful counterpart in inner-state relations, and evidence of which is its work style in the negotiations over the NK issue, and in general, during the whole conflict. It’s sufficient to remember the irresponsible attitude that that country has towards the documents adopted through the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs or the heads of the member countries of that Group. In fact, that behaviour of Azerbaijan was not at all surprising or unexpected, more surprising is the intolerance towards that country by the international community or structures, which those same structures have repeatedly criticized in violating the human rights, impeding the freedom of speech and other unacceptable and denouncing actions for Europe. If that criticism turned into practical steps I think Azerbaijan would not only dare to go to that deal, but even to make such a proposal to the EU member country, which being in its turn a friendly country, softly speaking, showed non-friendly behaviour towards both its own and European value system.

The international community at least now should be able to see the real face of a country, where the Anti-Armenian policy is encouraged. The people of Artsakh have been convinced long ago in that, and it is not always accidental that in any case cannot be part of Azerbaijan. The RA President Serzh Sargsyan has repeatedly declared about that.

We cannot trust the guarantee or promise of Azerbaijan given at even the highest level, especially if it refers the security of a man, moreover the Armenian man.

With this step Azerbaijan drawing in the EU member Hungary in political intrigues, tries to create an atmosphere of outrageous situation. Therefore, condemning words should certainly sound from that family, concrete actions should be carried out.

Otherwise, they will be ordinary declarative, formal expressions.

Otherwise, the Eastern Partnership can remain a format only on the paper, if the condemning actions of one of the counterparts or several of them do not enjoy the others’ rough and tangible response.

Otherwise, it will be difficult to think the NATO “Partnership for Peace” programme is genuinely for partnership and certainly for peace, when within the framework of that partnership in the European Union member country the Armenian officer gets killed, and the murderer becomes a national hero in the member state of the Council of Europe.

Dear deputies,

The statement adopted by the National Assembly will be sent to the international parliamentary structures and national parliaments, which I think will give an adequate assessment and turn to practical steps.

Thank you”

Artak Zakaryan, member of the Working Group delivered a concluding speech.

The NA draft statement was adopted with 96 for and 1 against votes.

The National Assembly ended the work of the extraordinary session.