Swiss Parliamentarians Erich Vontobel and Lukas Reimann will join former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and Christian Solidarity International (CSI) President Dr. John Eibner for a Capitol Hill briefing on Tuesday, July 8th, spotlighting Switzerland’s international leadership in securing the safe and dignified return of Artsakh’s indigenous Armenian population.
The Capitol Hill briefing follows the May 26th launch of the “Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno-Karabakh” in Bern, Switzerland. This initiative stems from Motion No. 24.4259, adopted by both houses of the Swiss Federal Assembly, which mandates the Swiss government to convene a peace forum to facilitate internationally mediated dialogue between Azerbaijan and representatives of the displaced Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. The platform creates a neutral and internationally protected space to support the realization of the Artsakh Armenians’ right of return in accordance with international human rights and humanitarian law.
At the Bern launch, speakers underscored the urgency of international action following Azerbaijan’s 2023 military assault on Nagorno-Karabakh, which forcibly displaced over 120,000 Armenians from their ancestral homeland. Parliamentary leaders and experts emphasized Switzerland’s historic neutrality and humanitarian tradition as a credible foundation for leading international conflict resolution efforts.
“Our work has only just begun,” stated National Councilor Erich Vontobel, Co-President of the Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno-Karabakh and author of the parliamentary motion. “We can’t afford to sit still; the peace forum still has to be organized.”
Among the 19 members of the cross-party Swiss parliamentary committee is National Councilor Lukas Reimann of the Swiss People’s Party, who will participate in the Capitol Hill briefing alongside his colleague Erich Vontobel. The committee includes members from across Switzerland’s political spectrum who are united in their call to support a sustainable peace process between Azerbaijan and representatives of the displaced Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
