OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative hopes the OSCE presence in Armenia will be restored over time.
On a visit to Armenia, OSCE PA Special Representative for the South Caucasus Christian Vigenin had a meeting with Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Ara Babloyan.
Mr. Babloyan said “Armenia supports the OSCE and urges all its partners to act in compliance with OSCE principles and international norms. The Speaker said he regrets the suspension of the OSCE Office’s activity in Yerevan and voiced hope that the organization would find new ways to continue the close cooperation with Armenia.
Speaking about the Nagorno Karabakh issue, the Speaker said: “An individual is the highest value to us, the human rights protection is also important. As a doctors having worked to save human lives, I feel sorry for both Armenian and Azerbaijani young people,” he said.
Ara Babloyan said the Karabakh conflict should be looked upon from the perspective of human rights, not as a territorial dispute. He added that Artsakh people’s right to self-determination and freedom should be respected.
The Speaker stressed that Armenia is committed to European values, and is ready to hold dialogue about issues facing the region. He pledged Armenia’s willingness to continue the cooperation with the OSCE and reopen the Office in Yerevan.
The OSCE representatives, in turn, attached importance to parliamentary diplomacy in solving conflicts. According to him, conflicts should be solved in a peaceful way, because it costs high not only to countries, but also their citizens.
