The European Free Alliance (EFA) is convinced that cooperation with Democratic Party of Artsakh will be mutually beneficial and rewarding, and will open new platforms of cooperation both on pan-European as well as party-to-party level with the member parties of EFA, spokesperson for the party Georgios Papadakis told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He said “welcoming the DPA was a very positive step forward for EFA, enlarging the territorial scope of our European political party beyond the EU, as well as strengthening our political relevance counting now, for the first time ever, with a member party that is in the government of an independent –though not yet internationally recognized- republic.”

Papadakis emphasized that EFA and the DPA base their action and policy on the defence of the right to self-determination and the respect of the people’s will to take the future of their countries in their own hands. “Both EFA and the DPA also share the values when it comes to defend equality for all identities and cultures, democracy, freedom, peace, justice and human rights. DPA’s membership in EFA will give us the possibility to learn from each other’s good practices, as well as to share experiences on the struggles and ambitions shared by all the members of our European family.,” he added

“We truly believe that DPA’s membership in EFA was the logical thing to happen and clearly see that the values of both are absolutely compatible and, moreover, reciprocally enriching. 

Regarding the call of the EFA to the UN Member States to recognize Nagorno Karabakh, we believe that it is an absolutely needed, fair, democratic, just and, also, a logical thing to do.

The independence of Nagorno-Karabakh was carried out through a referendum held on 10December 1991, which was in line with the UN Charter as well as with other universally accepted norms of international law. It is important to mention that the assessment of the observers from different mass media organizations from different states that were present at the referendum was very positive and underlined the correctness of the whole process (despite that when the referendum was being held, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was exposed to a heavy armed aggression).

When on 6 January 1992, the democratically elected parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh adopted the Declaration on the State Independence, they also appealed to the UN (and the countries of the world) to recognize the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

Despite all the efforts of the government of the NKR, the international recognition is still a pending and, in EFA’s view, also a disgraceful issue, that undermines the will of the people to live in a free and dignified country.

The lack of international recognition leaves this independent republic under the constant threat of military attack and, on this regard, EFA will do its upmost to put NKR and its right to exist in dignity and freedom on the European agenda, as well as elsewhere in the world.

For this threat to go to an end the UN recognition is essential and EFA’s request to the UN members to recognize NKR just follows the logic of reaching a long lasting peace.

Overall, EFA believes that the recognition of Nagorno Karabakh by the UN is cornerstone for the stability of the region and the only roadmap towards a sustainably peace; is essential for the predominance of the previously mentioned values (of justice, democracy, freedom, respect, peace and defense of human rights) in face of aggression and armed threat; as well as the only way to normalize the existence of a country that aims to live and evolve as any other normal country in the world,” the statement by Papadakis reads.

As reported earlier, the general assembly of EFA was held in Bautzen on April 16-18. The meeting was attended by the president of the NKR parliament, leader of the Democratic Party of Artsakh (DPA) Ashot Ghulyan who presented the activities of DPA and the upcoming programs. During the vote, DPA was unanimously accepted as EFA associate member.

The resolution adopted by EFA general assembly called on on UN member countries to recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.