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Azerbaijan does not give up the idea of resolving the Karabakh  conflict by military means, Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Edward Sharmazanov said yesterday during his working visit to Argentina when he met with members of the Armenian community of Buenos Aires in the residence of the primate of the Argentine Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

E. Sharmazanov discussed the Karabakh problem at the meeting, according to the press service of the Armenian parliament.

“The Armenian people won the Karabakh heroic battle thanks to joint nation-wide efforts, and the Diaspora’s role here is undeniable. The enemy now continues to violate the ceasefire and reject the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group on a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict,” he said.

“Unfortunately, we have suffered irrecoverable losses in the past few days. Two servicemen were killed as a result of ceasefire violations. These developments show that Azerbaijan does not give up the idea of resolving the Karabakh conflict by military means. That country never drew a lesson from history. President of Azerbaijan Abulfaz Elchibey  in the 1990s announced his intention to solve the conflict by military means and seize Sevan, but events took a different turn and Azerbaijanis had to ask for a truce”.

“Armenia supports an exclusively peaceful resolution to the Karabakh conflict, and as a guarantor the security of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Armenia reaffirms that there is no alternative to the right of NKR’s people to self-determination. Nagorno Karabakh Republic has never been and will not be part of Azerbaijan – such is the free will of the people of NKR,” the vice speaker of the Armenian parliament said, adding “Both Armenia and the Diaspora should support the exercise of the NNR people’s right to self-determination. Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora trinity is now more important than ever”.

Sharmazanov also addressed the subject of the Armenian Genocide Centennial. “We are grateful to friendly Argentina for recognizing and condemning legislatively the Armenian Genocide. Crimes against humanity have no statute of limitation. The world must condemn those guilty and combat Turkey’s policy of denial because denial of genocide is a crime, like its perpetration.

Sharmazanov reminded those present that at a Mass held on April 12, 2015 at St. Peter's Basilica to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,  Pope Francis used the word “genocide’ to refer to the events in the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century. “In the past century, our human family has lived through three massive and unprecedented tragedies," the Pope said at the Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, adding that the first, which is widely considered 'the first genocide of the 20th century,' struck the Armenian people. Pope Francis also referred to the crimes "perpetrated by Nazism and Stalinism" and said other genocides had followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi and Bosnia. He said it was his duty to honour the memories of those who were killed. "Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it," the Pope said.