As we have already informed, at the 45th session of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CoE Congress) held in Strasbourg, the report on the Yerevan city council elections was adopted with a ratio of 53 “for” 5 “against,” 3 “abstentions.” During the resolution discussion, the Azerbaijani delegates of the CоE Congress, deviating from the main topic, began to speak in their wording, from the “problematic wordings” mentioned in the report. They disputed the part of the report that stated: “The political context in Armenia is primarily shaped by the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, which was renewed by the autumn conflict of 2020, after decades of relative stability.
Since 2020, the defeat, casualties, and territorial losses have greatly affected the Armenian political field, including at the local level. Since December 2022, the Lachin Corridor connecting Armenia with the Karabakh region has been blocked, which has increased the tension. National security and humanitarian concerns stemming from the worsening situation in the Lachin Corridor significantly impacted the political debate and the local campaign for the Yerevan Council of Elders elections.
The Azerbaijani delegates declared: how can the Karabakh conflict affect the Yerevan elections if that conflict is resolved? They did not miss the opportunity to discuss the return of “refugees” to Armenia. They also called to change the wording from Nagorno-Karabakh to Karabakh. However, these proposals were not discussed in any way․
Instead, Bjorn Voehringer, chairing the discussion, urged the Azerbaijani delegates to stay on topic. The author of the report, the head of the delegation of the CоE Congress observing the elections of the Yerevan Council of Elders, Carla Dejonghe, stated in her final speech: “It was clear that the Yerevan Council of Elders elections were put on the back burner because of what is happening in Nagorno-Karabakh. We will discuss this issue tomorrow during the plenary session.” Then, addressing the Azerbaijani delegates, he said: “Therefore, maybe you will wait and ask questions about the Lachine Corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh during that discussion.”
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Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
Strasbourg
