Cross-party committee to support Swiss Peace Initiative launches its  work in Bern

ArmInfo. In the capital of Switzerland, Bern, a cross-party committee of 19 parliamentarians in support of the Swiss Peace Initiative has launched its work to support the decision of the Swiss Parliament to introduce the  necessary international mechanisms to implement the right of return  of the Armenians of Artsakh, which is legally binding for the  executive power of the country. This was reported by Vartan Oskanian,  former head of the Armenian MFA and coordinator of the Committee for  the Protection of the Fundamental Rights of the People of   Nagorno-Karabakh.  

The diplomat recalled that the initiative is aimed at supporting  Switzerland's commitment "to facilitate an open dialogue between  Azerbaijan and representatives of  the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians  under international control or in the presence of significant  international actors to negotiate the safe and collective return of  the historically resident Armenian population."

 The committee, which has broad cross-party support, is led by  members of the Swiss National Council Erich Vontobel and Stefan  Muller-Altermatt. The event featured speeches by the committee  co-chairs, as well as former Armenian Foreign Minister and  Coordinator of the Committee for the Protection of Fundamental Rights  of the People of Nagorno-Karabakh Vartan Oskanian, Director of the  Caroline Cox Rehabilitation Center Vardan Tadevosyan, Secretary  General of the Switzerland-Armenia Interparliamentary Friendship  Group Sargis Shahinyan, and Director of Public Affairs of Christian  Solidarity International Dr. Joel Veldkamp.