PACE President Pedro Agramunt and Head of the Armenian Delegation to PACE, Hermine Naghdalyan (Source: ArmRadio)

STRASBOURG (ArmRadio)—At a meeting in Strasbourg, PACE President Pedro Agramunt and the Head of the Armenian Delegation to PACE Hermine Naghdalyan discussed the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and taking the discussions to a more constructive field.

The Head of the Armenian delegation also pointed to the biased and unilateral wording in the statements of Agramunt during the recent escalation at the line of contact.

“We have always said that we don’t see the Parliamentary Assembly as a proper podium for consideration of the Karabakh issue but this becomes a necessity under certain circumstances,” Naghdalyan told Public Radio of Armenia.

Naghdalyan dismissed the reports on sanctions used against the Armenian delegation.

“The question refers to the criticism related to the lack of co-operation of the Armenian parliamentary delegation during the preparation of the report on the Sarsang Reservior during the January session. And the discussions were a follow-up to that report with no legally binding consequences,” the Head of the Armenian delegation said.

She said dissemination of false information does no honor to media outlets and does not benefit the country.

She informed that the Armenian delegates are actively working to present materials and provide true information about the recent developments to colleagues at PACE.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a written declaration No. 603 on Peaceful Resolution of Nagorno Karabakh on April 19.
The document signed by 44 members of PACE reads: “Being convinced that a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has no alternative, the Parliamentary Assembly reiterates its continuous support to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the only internationally agreed mediation format, to reach a lasting and just settlement of this conflict. Therefore, we urge to respect the continuous calls made by the Minsk Group Co- Chairs not to undermine their mandate and complicate the ongoing negotiations.
We encourage all sides to undertake decisive steps and show the necessary political will to reach a negotiated settlement based on proposals of the Co-Chair countries – France, USA and Russia -outlined in five statements at the level of their presidents made since 2009. We share the concerns regarding the increase of tensions in the conflict zone. The use of heavy weaponry, such as mortars and rocket launchers, is unacceptable and presents a serious danger to civilian population. We deeply regret the loss of lives, including civilians.
The Creation of a mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations together with other proposals of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs on confidence building measures and consolidation of 1994 ceasefire agreement will contribute to the reduction of tensions and the creation of a more favorable atmosphere for advancing peace talks.”