Meri Galstyan Receives Konstantine Vardzelashvili, Head of OSCE/ODIHR Democratization Department

On November 20, the Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on European Integration Meri Galstyan received the Head of the Democratization Department of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Konstantine Vardzelashvili and the Democratic Governance Officer Nina Chanturia.

Welcoming the delegates being in Armenia within the framework of the OSCE PA Autumn Meeting, Meri Galstyan thanked them for the interest of deepening Armenia-ODIHR cooperation at the parliamentary level.

The interlocutors discussed the cooperation on the issues regarding the European platforms, combatting corruption, the gender equality and the situation in the region.

In this context the Armenian parliamentarian informed the colleagues that after the nine-month siege the whole Armenian population, more than 105.000 of Nagorno Karabakh (NK) were forcibly displaced as a result of large-scale attack unleashed on September 19, 2023 and ethnic cleansing policy by Azerbaijan. The Government of the Republic of Armenia works in a daily regime for solving the problems of re-inhabiting and proper integration of the NA Armenian population.

Meri Galstyan also touched upon the issues of the security situation of the Republic of Armenia, the efforts aimed at providing peace agenda, the commitment and works of our country to reach lasting stability in the region.

The parliamentarian drew the guests' attention to the destructive rhetoric of Azerbaijan, underlining the importance of the international colleagues' mediation and efforts.

The ODIHR delegates expressed their concern about the situation conditioned by the least events and expressed hope for quick stability and possibility of reaching peace. The Head of the Democratization Department Konstantine Vardzelashvili presented to the MP the framework of cooperation with the parliament. The interlocutors highlighted the anti-corruption policy being pursued in Armenia, the legal and institutional continuous support aimed at democratic reforms, the issues regarding the agenda of human rights. The perspectives of cooperation in the mentioned spheres were discussed.