YEREVAN—An inter-parliamentary commission of the National Assembly of Armenia and the National Assembly of Nagorno Karabakh has adopted a statement calling on the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries to take practical steps to eliminate snipers from the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, investigate ceasefire violations, exclude statements and actions inciting hatred between peoples, and include Artsakh in peace process negotiations.

The statement also stresses that the international recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic will ensure the irreversibility of the process of settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict and will signal to Azerbaijan that the use of force or the threat of force is impermissible.

Taking into consideration that the signing of the ceasefire agreement on May 12, 1994, was an important achievement in the process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict, the commission reiterated the importance of reinforcing the ceasefire to ensure the irreversibility of the peace process.

The statement reiterates that the Armenian people in Armenia, Artsakh, and worldwide will use their potential to ensure the realization of the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to self-determination on the basis of the UN Charter and the founding documents of international law.

The statement also urges the Minsk Group co-chairs to take necessary steps to guarantee the full participation of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in all stages of the negotiation process.