Zakaryan presents core of Karabakh problem to Belgian MP

As part of the meeting of the Euronest PA Bureau, Chairman of the Armenian parliament’s standing committee on foreign relations, head of the Armenian delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Artak Zakaryan met today with the standing committee’s head of Belgian Chamber of Representatives Dirk Van der Maelen, according to the Armenian parliament’s standing committee on foreign relations.

The sides discussed the Karabakh conflict peaceful settlement process, Armenia’s entry into the Eurasian Economic Union, and the regional situation.

Artak Zakaryan underlined the role of the OSCE Minsk Group as the only format for a Karabakh resolution as well as the importance of three principles of international law – territorial integrity, peoples’ right to self-determination, and nonuse of force or threat of force.

He spoke about the Armenophobic policy of Azerbaijani leadership and the attempts to change the format of the Karabakh settlement process and unleash a new war. Zakaryan stressed Azerbaijani conduct’s inadmissibility for Armenia.

In this connection the Belgian MP said that while being a member of the Belgian delegation to the PACE, he has a negative opinion of the abovementioned circumstance and the pro-Azerbaijani position of some members of the Belgian delegation and the parliament of Belgium and their inclination to Azerbaijani lobbying.

Dirk Van der Maelen added that many Belgian MPs are not familiar with the facts and content of the Karabakh problem so they are guided by the principle that maintaining Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is the only resolution to the problem.

Artak Zakaryan presented the core and history of the problem to Mr. Maelen, expressing hope that the Belgian side will show support by taking a more balanced approach to the Karabakh problem in the context of the OSCE Minsk Group’s position and in line with the EU’s standpoint.

Speaking about Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, A. Zakaryan said that this integration decision is conditioned mainly by Armenia’s economic and security interests. He added that Armenia was and remains a state committed to European values and is prepared to continue cooperation with the EU in all the possible spheres.

Artak Zakaryan invited Dirk Van der Maelen to visit Armenia in April 2015 in order to attend the Armenian Genocide Centennial events.