News - International community failed to take sufficient actions; now, we have what we have

It is a great honor for the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia to host the 21st autumn session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. I am grateful that you accepted our invitation to host the session in Yerevan. This was stated today, November 18, by the Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan during the opening ceremony of the OSCE PA session, which commenced in Yerevan. According to Simonyan, the slogan of this year's OSCE Chairmanship fully emphasizes the value on which all of us should be focused. “That is, ‘It’s about people.’ Unfortunately, the entire OSCE region continues to be shaken by conflict, and millions of people suffer as a result of wars and humanitarian crises. The topic of discussion and debate in this parliamentary assembly is indeed extremely important: what is our role in these days of crisis, and how do we intend to face internal and external challenges. Dear colleagues, unfortunately, the South Caucasus has been facing significant security challenges for decades, especially in recent years. As a responsible member of the international community and a player in this region, Armenia is striving to find a formula that will enable the countries in our region to coexist peacefully and prevent the suffering of the people living here. One of the most important components of this formula is democracy. After the non-violent People's Velvet Revolution of 2018, democratic reforms and the perception of democratic values in our country have become irreversible,” Alen Simonyan said. The Speaker of Parliament emphasized that Armenia is confidently moving in this direction, understanding that democracy is also the most important guarantee of security. “This process is quite complex, but we have implemented large-scale reforms to strengthen democratic institutions and values. Among these reforms, the fight against corruption occupies a key place, which will be one of the main topics of discussion at this conference. We are determined to overcome all obstacles and obstacles and continue the path of democratization of Armenia. Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, democracy in our region is extremely vulnerable to external challenges. I would like to take this opportunity to once again draw your attention to the security threats and the current situation in the South Caucasus region. In the Vancouver Declaration of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in 2023, you, dear partners, very clearly and unequivocally reaffirmed your position that there is no alternative to peace in our region. However, after the declaration was adopted, the security situation in the region has deteriorated. As a result of the large-scale attack and ethnic cleansing carried out by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19 this year, more than 100 thousand Armenians were forced to leave Nagorno-Karabakh within a week. I and a number of my colleagues have long warned the international community that the prospect of an Azerbaijani policy of ethnic cleansing is becoming increasingly realistic following the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor in December 2022. However, the international community did not take adequate measures, and now, we have what we have. It is extremely painful for me to state this in this hall, just a few hundred meters from the Armenian Genocide memorial. Instead of reassessing the history of our people and the trials we have endured and looking forward, we are forced to confront a practically identical repetition of history in the 21st century. I hope that the humanitarian problems of Armenians forcibly resettled from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia will also be the subject of discussion at this assembly,” he added.