YEREVAN. – Armenian National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov on Thursday received Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR)—or Artsakh—NA Deputy Speaker Arthur Tovmasyan, and MPs Arpat Avanesyan and Karen Topchyan.  

First, Sharmazanov congratulated the guests in connection with the 21st anniversary of Armenia’s independence, and noted that this is a festivity for all Armenians, Armenian NA press service informs. 

In his words, such visits attest to the fact that the cooperation between Armenia’s and NKR’s NAs are on a very high level.   

Eduard Sharmazanov noted that Armenia, as the guarantor of NKR’s security, will do everything so that the Karabakh issue is resolved equitably.

In the Armenian NA Deputy Speaker’s words, it is a fact that a democratic and independent state is established in Nagorno-Karabakh, and its recent parliamentary and presidential elections are a good testimony of this fact.

“Artsakh can no longer be a part of Azerbaijan,” Sharmazanov also noted. In his words, the Azerbaijani authorities have worked by the hands of Ramil Safarov. And, in this sense, the Armenian NA’s respective statement was a message to the international community and to the fact that double standards are no longer permissible.  

Sharmazanov also stressed two important points: First, NKR must be a negotiating side in the Karabakh conflict, and, second, activities must be carried out to impose sanctions upon Azerbaijan.  

In his turn, NKR NA Deputy Speaker Arthur Tovmasyan likewise congratulated Sharmazanov in connection with Armenia’s 21st anniversary of independence. 

“If the political situation in Armenia is stable, the people of Artsakh likewise gain from this to a great extent, and the likelihood of pressures reduces in the negotiation process,” Tovmasyan noted.

He informed that NKR NA issued a statement Wednesday, whereby it deplored Hungary’s extradition of Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan and his subsequent release and being declared a hero in that country, which, however, were expected. 

“This fact comes to prove yet again that the Armenians of Karabakh cannot survive as part of Azerbaijan,” Arthur Tovmasyan stated, and underscored the need to inform the international community that democratic Nagorno-Karabakh’s existence within dictatorial Azerbaijan is impossible.   

During the meeting, the parties also discussed other matters of bilateral interest.