On May 11, the RA NA Vice President Eduard Sharmazanov received the members of the Delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF) led by the President of Wallonia-Brussels/French Community Parliament of Belgium Philippe Courard, which arrived in Armenia to take part in the Founding Sitting of Francophone Youth Parliament of Armenia.
The Head of the RA NA Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie Margarit Yesayan also took part in the meeting.
Welcoming the Delegation’s visit to Armenia the NA Vice President Eduard Sharmazanov highlighted the establishment of Francophone Youth Parliament of Armenia and has noted that though Armenia is not a Francophone country in classical term, nevertheless it is the bearer of protection of human rights, Christian and democratic values.
Touching upon the terrorist outbursts that have become evil in the whole world Eduard Sharmazanov has noted that Nagorno Karabakh has become a victim of terror and xenophobia. He has underlined that Turkey expressed its support to Azerbaijan’s unleashed aggression against Nagorno Karabakh Republic, not only rejecting the Armenian Genocide, but also keeps Armenia under blockade for 23 years. Considering inadmissible the denialism and the blockade, all manifestations of terrorism and xenophobia in the 21st century, the NA Vice President has considered inadmissible the silence and untargeted appeals of the international community. Eduard Sharmazanov has informed the guests about the Azerbaijani barbarities towards the Armenian soldiers, as well as the peaceful population, which were committed in the style of ISIS.
“The people of Artsakh has the right of living in the independent country, as any people,” Eduard Sharmazanov underlined and clarified that Nagorno Karabakh had never been part of Azerbaijan, it had already been out of the USSR in 1991, but not of Azerbaijan. The NA Vice President expressed hope that the started process of recognition of the NKR independence will be continuous and the NKR will add the number of the UN member countries, the UN whose one of the prior goals is the right of the nations’ self-determination. The NA Vice President has noted that the international community should condemn the terrorist actions of Azerbaijan.
The President of Wallonia-Brussels/French Community Parliament of Belgium Philippe Courard thanked Eduard Sharmazanov for the warm reception and condemned the terrorism and all manifestations of violence occurring in the world, as well as in Nagorno Karabakh. He highlighted the united fight against terrorism and expressed support to close relatives of the victims of the Azerbaijani aggression. Philippe Courard assured that they will convey whole received information on Karabakh events to their structures.