My Azerbaijani Colleague Has Publicly Rejected Me: Khandanian

The head of the permanent committee on foreign relations of the National Assembly of Armenia, and a member of the "Civil Contract" faction, Sargis Khandanian, stated:

"My Azerbaijani colleague has publicly rejected my proposal for a meeting regarding the exchange of opinions on the peace agreement draft, calling me a 'populist'. If promoting peace is populism, then I proudly accept that label as long as it is necessary. My proposal remains on the table. I am ready to engage in confidence-building measures at the inter-parliamentary level, tirelessly working for peace and stability in our region,"

he wrote on X.

Recently, Sargis Khandanian reached out to Samad Seyidov, the head of the Foreign Relations Committee of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis, suggesting a meeting between the foreign relations committees of the parliaments of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"This meeting would create an opportunity to discuss the opinions regarding the peace agreement draft and its ratification process. Moreover, it would allow for discussions related to the role of parliaments in the peace process, stimulating dialogue around the future of inter-parliamentary cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral parliamentary platforms. Such an initiative can complement other confidence-building measures undertaken by our countries and contribute to enhancing regional stability. I hope my colleague from the Milli Majlis will respond positively, and we will be able to agree on the date, place, and other necessary details for the meeting. As a venue for the first meeting, we could consider a neutral area along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border,"

Khandanian had written.