Vice Speaker of Armenian Parliament: Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora trinity is needed for international recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

• Monday, March 4, 18:18

The unilateral recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic may cause an impasse in the international recognition of the NKR, Edward Sharmazanov, Vice Speaker of Armenian Parliament, said in the Parliament when replying to the students' questions.   

"The Armenian authorities have repeatedly stated that the NKR citizens themselves should decide their fate, and for this purpose the NKR should become a party to the peace process", he said. He added that the international community should adequately assess the aggressive policy of Azerbaijan. Sharmazanov pointed out that Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora trinity is needed to international recognition of the NKR. "I think it is unacceptable to speculate on the Karabakh problem to gain the domestic political goals; the unity of the power and the opposition is needed to settle the conflict", he said. In the context of international recognition of the NKR's independence, Sharmazanov pointed out the significance of the Lithuanian Parliament's initiative to set up a Lithuania-Artsakh Parliamentary Friendship Group.

As regards the Armenian-Turkish relations, Sharmazanov stressed that Armenia is waiting for Turkey to take steps on ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols.  

As for the foreign political priorities of Armenia, Sharmazanov said that Yerevan is conducting a complementary foreign policy, building strategic relations with Russia and developing cooperation with NATO. "We are a free country and we can cooperate with Europe, the USA and the CIS", he said. He also stressed that Yerevan is interested in peaceful settlement of the Iranian problem, as Iran is an important economic partner with Armenia.