Foreign Affairs committee  My top two recommendations are targeted sanctions and fulfilling the recommendations of the Dion report.

Foreign Affairs committee  The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe—the OSCE—through its Minsk Group at one point potentially played a positive role here. Unfortunately, it no longer does. There is a role for Canada with like-minded allies to act on the stage of the south Caucasus. That in

Foreign Affairs committee  I apologize. I kept talking. It's an occupational hazard.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think there is a real risk. The Aliyev regime has said that one way or another, Azerbaijan will have control there. I think there's a real risk, and there could be a risk of contagion. Mr. Chair, I did a quick check. Armenia—I believe it was earlier this

Foreign Affairs committee  I think I agree that the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the way to proceed, and I commend the Armenian authorities for indicating their willingness to join the Rome Statute. That's a really positive move, and Armenia will be one of the few countries in the fo

Foreign Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, I think the member is right to point out.... I beg your pardon. Is this addressed to me, Mr. Chair?

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you. I think that's right: Armenia is in a tough geopolitical situation. Frankly, it has been for the entirety of its history, certainly in the 19th and 20th centuries. There's nothing new about that. In fairness, Canada has stepped up in some really important ways. I thi

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, I think it is important to point out that France has taken robust measures, albeit not sanctions, and not only in terms of arms sales. For example, France has dispatched a military attaché to its embassy in Yerevan, stepping up defence co-oper

Foreign Affairs committee  In the European Union's case, it's because Azerbaijan is seen as a reliable alternative for gas. To be honest, I am not naive to the geopolitical realities with respect to the politics of not only Turkey but also Iran being major players in the region, and whose co-operation wi

Foreign Affairs committee  I just want to clarify that Canadian parliamentarians, if calling for sanctions, would not be alone. The ambassador referred to “like-minded allies”. I want to suggest to you that the like-minded allies are parliamentarians around the world. I would refer you, for example, to the

Foreign Affairs committee  Good afternoon. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Canada is to be commended for opening its full embassy in Armenia, and I wish Ambassador Turner every success in his endeavours. Canada has stepped up in several other ways to support what special envoy Dion properly termed a “fragile dem

Foreign Affairs committee  I recognize that in the era we're in, when we're not expanding our diplomatic presence in a massive way, that maybe the only embassy we should put in is in Tbilisi in Georgia. At least we would have a presence on the ground and one that was on somewhat neutral territory. Structu

Foreign Affairs committee  That's what I find shocking, to be honest with you.

Foreign Affairs committee  The ceasefire is probably sustainable for the next five years, the term of the agreement. Russian peacekeepers were quickly put into place, and unlike previous attempts at ceasefires, this one appears to be holding. There are numerous problems, including the fact that it appear

Foreign Affairs committee  As in many of the conflicts in the South Caucasus, there are competing stories or narratives of civilization, of origin and so on, but really the modern origins of the conflict go back to the early days of the Soviet Union when an Armenian enclave was made part of Azerbaijan. I k