Interview with politician, National Assembly Vice-Chairman, member of Parliament of all 5 convocations, RPA Women’s Council’s Chairwoman HERMINEH NAGHDALYAN. Awarded with medals “Mkhitar Gosh”, “Combat actions participant”, “Marshal Baghramyan”, “Artsakh mothers’ gratitude”.

– As far as I remember, you had differences with previous EUPA Chairman M.Chavushoglu.

– Earlier in EUPA a temporary commission on NKR was created which worked not so effective. In the end of his tenure Chavushoglu decided to prolong its term. We tried to explain the EU delegates that we have no hopes with that commission. That time I was Economic commission chairwoman and member of EUPA Bureau. During the meeting I made such a speech and moreover, it was so long (H.N. laughs) that the time was over and the Bureau didn’t manage to take a decision on prolongation of the Commission.

– How are the relations between the members of the Armenian and Azeri delegations?

– Azeris always shine in slander genre, impute fantastic accusations on us. For their denial a lot of time, financial means, force are needed. Our delegation made an important step: suggested the Azeris to stop bilateral accusations. However the Azeri side didn’t react to it, and we implemented that only from our side. Europe delegates highly assessed our step, they saw who is who.

– It will be interesting for our readers – how you replied to Moldova parliamentary advocate Aurelia Grigoriu who named Armenia as aggressor, accused Armenians of genocide in her speech in the Armenian NA.

– I entered the hall when she was already finishing reading her text. I think the whole intrigue of this woman’s visit to Armenia and her speech was to voice the Armenian-Azeri theme. Being the ombudsman of Moldova she could talk about human rights protection in her country, or Transdniestria conflict but not – Nagorno-Karabakh. However being a host, our democracy, tolerance didn’t allow to give more solid answer. In my reply-speech I put the stress on the thing that this is an order. The proof of that fact was that she was recording her speech. Once more I’d like to mention that her behaviour was a real provocation which doesn’t coincide with ombudsman’s image.

Alice Alaverdyan