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On February 22, the briefing of the Head of the NA Armenian Delegation to the EuroNest Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Maria Karapetyan was held in Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex.

Before the Q&A session , the Head of the delegation gave details on the agenda items, discussions and presented positions of the EuroNest Parliamentary Assembly Bureau and the Meetings of the Committees being held in Yerevan. In this context, she especially highlighted the position of the MEP, the representative of Estonia Marina Kaljurand . Today, the delegate has reaffirmed once again that the war is not a means to resolve the conflict, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict still should receive a complete, comprehensive and negotiated peaceful solution.

In the Q&A format, the media representatives tried to find out what issues were discussed at the meeting of the PA Bureau, whether the issue of the return of prisoners of war and other persons held in Azerbaijan was raised at the meetings of the Committees, whether the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was discussed, was the situation in Ukraine touched upon?

Maria Karapetyan informed that the topic of security in the South Caucasus was included in the agenda of the meeting of the Committees on Political Affairs, Human Rights and Democracy and on Energy Security, within the framework of which the issue of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was discussed. The Head of the Armenian delegation emphasized the final peaceful settlement of the conflict, the counterparts of the European Parliament expressed their support for that agenda. It has been noted that the format of the meeting does not envisage the adoption of a separate resolution or draft.

The representatives of the ruling and opposition factions spoke about the humanitarian issues, particularly the necessity of the urgent return of prisoners of war and other held persons. And in response to the question how the Azerbaijani delegates respond to that, Mari a  Karapetyan has noted that they separate the persons fallen as captives during the war and after the war. According to her, the humanitarian law does not recognize such separation. The trilateral signed document on the return of the captives and held persons, the international humanitarian law demand all the persons’ return irrespective of the terms of them taken into prisoners.

The Bureau Meeting held one previous day was touched upon. Maria Karapetyan informed that she did not vote for the adopted statement. Today, the content of the Statement will be edited by the concerned members of the Bureau and will be published. “The security and the peace in the South Caucasus is my responsibility and priority. It has been on the basis of my motivations and voting,” the MP said.

Regarding the statements on opening a new era of peaceful development, Maria Karapetyan has noticed that it has been a lasting period that Armenia speaks about opening an era of peaceful development for Armenia and South Caucasus Region, on which we regularly hear messages also from the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. “However, it is important to stress that the actions and words shall correspond to each other.” She has added that our vision, as well as of the international community is the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, the format, where the Agreement of Peace can be discussed, unequivocally being for the peace and stability in the South Caucasus.

Speaking about the situation created around Ukraine, Maria Karapetyan stressed: “I hope that the peace will be preserved, and it will be possible to shake off the of tension through dialogue.”

In response to the question on not being unequivocal perception of accepting the delegation of Azerbaijan, the Head of the Delegation noted that Yerevan hosted the Parliamentary Assembly, and it would not be right Armenia to reject the possibility of hosting its international counterparts because of having also delegates from Azerbaijan.