Foreign Affairs committee  Indeed, yes.

Foreign Affairs committee  The opposition has indeed been very critical of Prime Minister Pashinyan for several years. Again, it's been very critical going back to the 2020 conflict. However, the government was not only successfully re-elected in 2021 on the basis of its commitment to democracy and reform, but it is also generally perceived as having done very well in responding to the humanitarian crisis in providing shelter.

Foreign Affairs committee  My colleagues from our international law bureau would be quick to state that there is no precise definition of ethnic cleansing under international law, although it can constitute an element or an aspect of crimes against humanity or war crimes. Such a determination would need to be made by an authorized legal body, given that there are very precise definitions for those crimes.

Foreign Affairs committee  None of my comments were intended to criticize France. It was merely an example. Azerbaijan has also tried to criticize the European Union mission, saying that Canada's possible participation would make it a kind of NATO mission. So, we will indeed need to have an opportunity to observe the actions of the government in Baku and ascertain whether it is serious about negotiating a peace agreement.

Foreign Affairs committee  No. As I said, there seems to be considerable debate within Armenia as to whether or not sanctions should be applied at this time. We have certainly seen calls for support and for action, but there are debates taking place on a range of questions, including sanctions, CSTO membership and accountability processes.

Foreign Affairs committee  The pursuit of sanctions right now would risk disrupting the ongoing efforts at peace. While we have not seen anyone take the route of sanctions, we have seen some announcements from France, for example, about the possibility of military support, which have caused Azerbaijan to withdraw from planned international meetings and discussions that could have helped to advance the peace process.

Foreign Affairs committee  Canada has been very clear that we have called, as have our like-minded allies, for the full right of return without any limitations, and that would include the right of Armenians to return for a short period to collect belongings, to take care of property and to do whatever they choose to do.

Foreign Affairs committee  Again, the balance are believed to be in Armenia and are in the process of being housed. It's simply a matter of some of the estimates and figures being updated as the UN gets more information from the government.

Foreign Affairs committee  From the discussions that we had directly with some of the refugees during Minister Joly's visit, there would be a strong desire from people to return if they felt that they could do so in safety. At the current time, given everything that has gone on, they are not convinced that will be possible; however, as such, the majority of people are working on the expectation of staying in Armenia rather than being able to return in the near future.

Foreign Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, thus far there has not been any indication or statement from Azerbaijan that they would be opposed to the right of return. They have set up mechanisms by which the population can register to receive services under the Government of Azerbaijan. The issue is much more likely to be the lack of trust and fear for safety that has built up over the last several decades of hostility and the most recent events as well.

Foreign Affairs committee  According to discussions I had with the UNHCR last week, the documents that the residents in Nagorno-Karabakh possess would not automatically confer citizenship for Armenia. Therefore, they have emphasized that technically, they would be considered refugees, although many have close family ties.

Foreign Affairs committee  Canada has certainly been engaged in discussions. As with sanctions, though, this is also an issue on which we are seeing some debate within Armenia as to when the most appropriate time to engage in that type of activity would be. As long as there is a sense from the government that the peace process is something that can be pursued, we would not want to do anything that would disrupt those efforts.

Foreign Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, I'm not certain how much has been delivered yet. We can follow up to confirm that. Again, Canada's traditional model is to provide it directly to the agency—in this case, the UNHCR and ICRC—and allow them to use it as they determine is most required to respond to the needs on the ground.

Foreign Affairs committee  The exact provisions would obviously need to be resolved between the two states. However, the broad issues that are being looked at are some of the key principles that have been outlined for decades, in some cases, but certainly have been reiterated in recent statements, including in Granada.

Foreign Affairs committee  According to the reports from the UN mission that was allowed to enter the territory—for the first time in a couple of decades—as well as humanitarian organizations, the reports are that virtually all of the ethnic Armenian population has left. Again, the UN reported at one point finding no more than 50 people.