Armenia's ruling party won't join bill condemning Shushi Declaration

PanARMENIAN.Net - Lawmakers from the ruling Civil Contract party will not endorse a bill drafted by the opposition Armenia bloc, condemning the Shushi Declaration signed by Turkey and Azerbaijan in Shushi, the Nagorno-Karabakh city that went under Azerbaijan's control during the war in fall 2020, Pastinfo reports.

The parliament's Standing Committee on Foreign Relations on Monday, February 21 discussed the draft, with opposition MP Andranik Tevanyan maintaining that the Shushi Declaraion is evidence of the "ambitious goals of the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem" which "is a threat to the existence of Armenia and Artsakh."

Gurgen Arsenyan from Civil Contract said, however, that his party will not join the initiative, arguing that the government has already unveiled its position. According to him, the Foreign Ministry and the National Assembly "pursue a common foreign policy."

"A key point in the Armenian Government's program is the establishment of a lasting peace in the region, in order to achieve this goal, as well as in order not to hinder the process, the Armenian authorities pursue a foreign policy that takes into account all risks and opportunities," Arsenyan said.