The National Assembly continues to discuss the EU agreement. “Yelq” MP Mane Tandilyan asked whether the EU has preserved the same rhetoric and similar approaches for the solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in the document negotiated with Azerbaijan.
Deputy Foreign Minister Karen Nazaryan said that the EU-Azerbaijan negotiations are held behind closed doors, and the third side is not informed about the content, considering that it may endanger the public and state interests of the sides. “However, we are aware that the issue of conflict resolution is discussed, as in the document with the Republic of Armenia, and the Armenian side has underlined that the EU should hold a unified position on that issue”. He expressed hope that the EU will act so and will show a principled approach.
Tandilyan also asked about the visa liberalization process. Karen Nazaryan said that this is a mutual commitment. He expressed hope that in the near future the visa liberalization program will launch. This implies a process of reforms. The Armenian side did not wait for the discussion of the elements of that operation, a number of legislative changes have already been initiated and it has already started preparing for the launch of the operation.
Republican MP Mihran Hakobyan noted that Hungary did not have a power change, and the power that extradited Safarov to Azerbaijan continues to hold power today. He asked whether there might be problems with Hungary regarding the ratification of the agreement. Karen Nazaryan said that so far no EU member country has informed about reservation or delay of the ratification process. Immediately after the signing of the agreement, EU member states even became enthusiastic that they would start a quick ratification process.
The Deputy Foreign Minister said there are countries where ratification of such agreements is a complicated procedure, for example in Belgium. Estonia has already ratified it. As for Hungary, diplomatic relations with this country are unilaterally suspended. Karen Nazaryan expressed hope that it will not be an obstacle for the Hungarian parliament to ratify the agreement as the decision to extradite the murderer to Azerbaijan was not made by the parliament.
