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Dear colleagues,

The bellicose neighbour of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh Azerbaijan with its recent step, by granting pardon to the murderer, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on the ethnic ground, created a dangerous precedent, when the oil dollars were served for discrediting the European judicial system, which is incoherent not only for the democratic 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 on its territory and beyond. That is, that country with its conduct of activities presents danger for the international community, international organizations and its partner countries.

Unfortunately, there are also authorities, and among them in the heart of Europe that don’t resist the temptation of oil dollars, that took place a few days ago with the judiciary and the authorities of Hungary, who acted against not only the law, but against morality, conscience and common sense. Being well aware of the statements made for many years by Azerbaijan to heroize Ramil Safarov and his mean deed, the Hungarian authorities signed a political deal with the Azerbaijani leadership.

If Azerbaijan’s pride is a coward murderer, who by representing that country and its army treacherously killed a sleeping man, then Artsakh is proud of its independent statehood achieved through liberation struggle and the combating spirit of its army guaranteeing the sovereignty of the state.

Recently Artsakh solemnly celebrated the 21^st anniversary of its independence, and celebrated it with confidence, resoluteness, once again proving to the world that not being recognized de jure, is de facto a state unquestioningly exceeding its neighbour Azerbaijan by the standards of democracy.

The NKR independence is an irreversible reality, and the NKR from day to day reinforces and strengthens the basis of its statehood. The reality that Nagorno Karabakh cannot be part of Azerbaijan, it’s clear not only for the population of Armenia and Artsakh, not only for Armenians all over the world, but also for the international community. And the recent decrees by Azerbaijani President Aliyev questioned the expediency of speaking about compromises, once again proving that Azerbaijan can never be a guarantor for physical security of the Artsakh population.

Dear deputies,

We have noted on different occasions that Azerbaijan is an unreliable and untrustworthy partner in interstate relations, the evidence of which is proved by its behavior during the negotiations over the NK issue and, in general, during the whole conflict period. It’s enough to remember the irresponsible attitude that this country has demonstrated 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 tolerance displayed by the international community or international organizations towards that country, especially having in view that the same structures have repeatedly criticized Azerbaijan for violating the human rights, impeding the freedom of speech and for other activities fully discrediting Europe. If that criticism were timely supported by practical steps, I believe that Azerbaijan would not only dare to strike that deal, but even to come out with such a proposal to the EU member country, which being in its turn a friendly country to Armenia, mildly speaking, revealed a non-friendly behaviour towards both its own and European value system.

The international community at least should be able now to see the real face of a country, where xenophobia against Armenians is encouraged. The people of Artsakh have been long convinced in that, and it is not altogether accidental that they declare that Artsakh cannot be a part to Azerbaijan under any circumstances. The President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has repeatedly mentioned that.

We cannot trust any guarantees or promises of Azerbaijan made even at the highest level, especially, if it refers to the security of a man, moreover of Armenian origin.

With this step Azerbaijan and by drawing the EU member Hungary into political intrigues, tries to create an atmosphere of impunity in the European family. Therefore, that family should certainly condemn this incident and undertake concrete actions.

Otherwise, all this will take the form of ordinary declarative and formal meaning.

Otherwise, the Eastern Partnership can remain a format only on the paper, if incoherent actions of any member states or of several of them are not duly condemned by the rest of the family.

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

Dear deputies,

The statement adopted by the National Assembly will be sent to all international parliamentary organizations and national parliaments, and I think they will give an adequate assessment and undertake appropriate practical steps.

Thank you.