The Fact Clearly Indicates Who the Aggressor Is in This Conflict: Sargis Khandanyan

Members of the Armenian National Assembly delegation participated in the annual 30th session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA) in Vancouver, Canada. During the OSCE PA's Committee on Political Affairs and Security meeting, Sargis Khandanyan, head of the Armenian National Assembly delegation and chairman of its Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, delivered a speech.

“Mr. President, I would like to thank Mr. Kashyunas for preparing the report and resolution. Unfortunately, since the adoption of the Birmingham Declaration, the security situation in the South Caucasus and around Armenia continues to worsen. The sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia was subjected to brutal aggression by Azerbaijan in September 2022, leading to the occupation of part of our sovereign territory. These acts of violence ceased thanks to the active intervention of the United States. Every day, Azerbaijan violates the ceasefire regime, shelling military positions, civilian infrastructure, and the population of Armenia's border regions. Recently, Azerbaijan has also begun targeting our country's economic development by shelling a metallurgical plant built with American investments.

Fortunately, a mechanism is now in place along the Armenian border to document violations of the ceasefire regime and border tensions, and report this information to several member states of this Assembly. This refers to the European Union's civil monitoring mission stationed in Armenia for a two-year term, aimed at contributing to stability in border areas, and I would like to express my gratitude to all EU member states for agreeing to deploy the mission, particularly Austria, Romania, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia for their active involvement in making this decision.

The same mechanism was offered to Azerbaijan by the European Union, but the latter refused to accept it. Guess why? This fact clearly indicates who the aggressor is in this conflict. Dear colleagues, since we clearly identify who the aggressor and who the victim is in other conflicting contexts, it is important to mention this in this context as well, as it helps uncover the issues and find solutions for them. The changes I proposed in this resolution serve that purpose. I believe that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly should be more active in strengthening the role and involvement of the organization in our region,” emphasized Sargis Khandanyan.