Speaker of Swiss Parliament “The People of Nagorno-Karabakh Have the Right to Choose Their Destiny”

YEREVAN — The speaker of Switzerland’s lower house of parliament Dominique de Buman has voiced his support for the right to self-determination for Artsakh during an official visit to Armenia.

“The people of Nagorno-Karabakh have the right to choose their destiny just like other peoples,” Dominique de Buman said during an official visit to Armenia on Tuesday. Addressing the Armenian parliament, he also called for a peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

Dominique de Buman also expressed his country’s regret over the failed process between Turkey and Armenia towards the implementation of the 2009 Zurich protocols.

“We cannot but regret that none of the terms set forth in the agreement have being implemented today. But we stick to the firm belief that it was the only process potentially paving way to peace and stability. I am hopeful that the parliament, formed after the parliamentary elections in Armenia and Switzerland, will impart a new stimulus to the process of enforcing the documents,” Dominique de Buman told reporters in Armenia’s parliament.

Buman, who was elected speaker of Switzerland’s National Council last November, travelled to Nagorno Karabakh republic together with another Swiss lawmaker.

Reacting to that statement, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry accused Buman of trying to “justify Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan.” A ministry spokesman, Hikmet Hajiyev, said he thus “inflicted damage” on efforts to end the Karabakh dispute.