Swiss MPs to present peace initiative on return to Artsakh in  Washington 

ArmInfo. Members of the Swiss Parliament Erich Fontobel and Lukas Reimann, as well as the President of Christian Solidarity International (CSI) John Eibner and former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian arrived in Washington to present the Swiss peace initiative on Artsakh and to promote more active US involvement in establishing justice and long-term stability in the South Caucasus.

Today, a briefing of these individuals will be held on Capitol Hill  in order to raise awareness among American politicians on the  implementation of the right of the Armenians of Artsakh to return to  their homes.

ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian previously stated that this  forum on Capitol Hill raises international cooperation on the issue  of the right of return of Armenians to Artsakh to a new level. "We  highly appreciate Switzerland's principled leadership and are  sincerely grateful to the CSI for supporting this initiative," he  said.

As Oskanian recalled on his Facebook page, in March 2025, the Swiss  parliament adopted a historic resolution obliging the Federal Council  to organize an international peace conference on Artsakh.

"The goal of the conference is to initiate a direct dialogue under  international control between the authorities of Azerbaijan and  representatives of the forcibly displaced Armenian population of  Nagorno- Karabakh, aimed at negotiations on a voluntary, collective  and dignified return," the former head of the Ministry of Foreign  Affairs explained.

In connection with the upcoming conference, Oskanyan reported that on  July 7, the delegation visited the US State Department, where they  met with Deputy Assistant Secretaries of State Jake McGee and Monica  Ager Jacobsen. "The discussions focused on the rights of the forcibly  displaced Armenians of Artsakh, as well as developments in the South  Caucasus and the wider region," the former Foreign Minister noted.

According to Oskanyan, the delegation will continue to meet with  members of Congress, human rights organizations and think tanks in  Washington to support the Swiss initiative and keep the ongoing  crisis of the forcibly displaced population of Artsakh on the  international agenda.

The Swiss peace initiative was officially adopted by the Swiss  Parliament earlier this year. It mandates the Swiss Federal Council  to convene within one year an international peace forum aimed at  facilitating negotiations, under international supervision or with  the participation of globally significant actors, on the safe and  voluntary return of the historically Armenian population to  Nagorno-Karabakh.

To support the implementation of this mandate, an all-party  parliamentary committee of 19 Swiss parliamentarians was formed in  Bern on 26 May 2025. This committee is mandated to promote the  necessary international mechanisms to implement the objectives of the  legally binding decision of the Swiss parliament. The UK statement  adds to a growing chorus of international voices calling for lasting  and inclusive solutions to the long-standing crisis in  Nagorno-Karabakh.