On the Initiative of the EU Armenia Friendship Group in the European Parliament and the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) a panel discussion entitled “Conflicts and the right to self-determination” took place in the European Parliament on Wednesday, June 3. The panel discussion focused on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, its structure, historic and legal aspects with a special emphasis on the right to self-determination.

EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetian opened the panel discussion hosting a number of politicians and distinguished guests from academia, the  European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democray reported.

HE Tatoul Markarian, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Kingdom of Belgium, Head of Mission of Armenia to the European Union was represented by Mnatsakan Safaryan – counsellor of the Mission of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union. On behalf of the Ambassador he said the following: ‘The activities of the European Parliament in this matter, hearings like this, visits to the region and discussions, help to further increase the awareness within the European Parliament and European institutions and keep the Nagorno Karabakh issue in the limelight of the international community thus signaling to Azerbaijan to stop its warmongering and focus on the peaceful settlement’.

MEP Dr. Eleni Theocharous was the key-note speaker of the panel discussion. Prof. Dr.  Andrzej Zieba from the JagellonianUniversityof Krakow Poland, Dr. OhannesGeukjianfrom theAmerican UniversityofBeirut Lebanon, Dr. YiannosCharalambides from Cyprus, XavierFollebouckt from Louvainla Neuve University, Belgium were the participants of the panel. The discussion was moderated by Giro Manoyan, Director of the International Secretariat ARF Dashnaktsutyun, Armenia.

MEP Dr. Eleni Theocharous drew parallels between the conflict in Cyprus and Nagorno-Karabakh: “Currently, we are experiencing and living a similar struggle through the Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh who are fighting to exercise their right to self-determination in order to achieve their freedom and thereby, define their own future and their destiny.” “The right to self-determination is enshrined within Article 1, Paragraph 2 of the UN Charter, it is the cornerstone for freedom and the symbol by which people all over the world, are inspired and encouraged to take their lives into their own hands,” said Dr. Theocharous.