Thank you, Chair. I have just a brief procedural point and then a substantive point as well.
Procedurally we had a motion on the floor, and then Mr. Oliphant made what he termed an amendment but what sounded more like a suggestion. He didn't say, “remove this word” or “remove this section”. He described what he would like to do.
I'm a bit confused as to whether we're discussing the suggestion of Mr. Oliphant as it relates to the motion of Mr. Bergeron or if there's a specific amendment on the table. If there is, I wonder if that specific amendment could be defeated. If there's a specific amendment on the table, we'll need to vote up or down on that amendment and then on the motion.
With respect to the larger issue—and I want to thank Mr. Bergeron for putting this forward—I was pleased to join him and my Conservative colleagues, as well as Ms. McPherson, in signing that letter. I think the horrors of what we're seeing, the significant humanitarian challenges of people in Artsakh or Nagorno-Karabakh certainly have been moving for me to see and read about. We are seeing a blockade that is in clear violation of international law and that undermines efforts to pursue peace and security.
We want to hear from both sides in the tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but in particular I would like to hear the voices of those who are directly affected, those who are in Artsakh who are experiencing this situation. I'm glad Mr. Bergeron included some of those names in his motion.
One other issue for the committee to think about as we turn our attention to this issue is the issue of Russian influence in the Transcaucasian region. Historically Russia has had a fair bit of influence there, but the failure of the ostensible peacekeeping force from Russia to do its job, to facilitate the development of peace is, I think, an important strategic development. It speaks, maybe, to the need for greater engagement by other countries, countries that have been historically less engaged in that region, to offer to play a greater role in promoting peace and stability. It's, of course, part of this larger story of what is happening with Russia and its effort to project influence.
First and foremost for me it's the humanitarian situation, but I think also there are a variety of different considerations that should really motivate the committee to want to look at that. I want to underline my support for Mr. Bergeron's motion and initiative here.
Also, Chair, if you could provide some clarity on the procedural point, that would be great.
Thank you.