Armenian Political Parties Unite Behind Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno Karabakh

Cross-party endorsement in Yerevan comes one month before national elections

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, May 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As European leaders gather in the Armenian capital today for the first-ever EU-Armenia Partnership summit, Christian Solidarity International (CSI) welcomes a unified declaration of support for the Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno Karabakh by a cross-section of Armenian political parties, movements and alliances participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The following parties have granted their endorsements. Together, they represent the broadest cross-party affirmation in Armenia to date that a just peace in the South Caucasus requires the safe, dignified return of the 150,000 Armenians forcibly displaced from Nagorno Karabakh:

- HayaQve National Civil Union (campaigning with Strong Armenia Party);
- Mother Armenia Party (in alliance with Prosperous Armenia Party);
- Country to Live Party;
- Wings of Unity Party;
- Armenia Alliance (including the Armenian Revolutionary Federation).

The Swiss Peace Initiative, anchored in Motion 24.4259 adopted by both chambers of the Swiss Parliament, mandates the Swiss Federal Council to convene an international peace forum bringing together representatives of Azerbaijan and the displaced Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh, under international supervision, to negotiate the collective return of the historically resident Armenian community.

“The Swiss Peace Initiative was created to give voice to the voiceless, and it is not predicated upon political support from the Republic of Armenia,” commented Joel Veldkamp, CSI’s Director for Public Advocacy. “However, this endorsement from a cross-section of Armenian political parties ahead of the June 7 election sends a clear and democratic rebuke to those who have sought to portray discussion of the right of return as external meddling or an obstacle to peace. The Swiss Federal Council should know that there is broad public support for this initiative in Armenia."

The initiative is championed in Bern by a non-partisan committee of 19 Swiss parliamentarians co-chaired by National Councilors Erich Vontobel and Stefan Müller-Altermatt. CSI is a leading advocate for this initiative, along with the Committee for the Defense of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Nagorno Karabakh, which works under the mandate of the Artsakh National Assembly in exile.

The mandated peace forum has only grown more relevant since the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, which for over 30 years was tasked with finding a peaceful solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Its closure, demanded by Baku as a precondition for the Washington declaration of 8 August 2025, has left a vacuum that the Swiss Peace Initiative is uniquely positioned to fill.

CSI urges Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin, who is leading Switzerland's delegation to Yerevan, and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis to bring Motion 24.4259 onto the agenda of their bilateral discussions with Armenian, EU and partner-state counterparts, and to work vigorously for its implementation.

CSI also welcomes further expressions of support and encourages all political parties in Armenia to take a clear position on the Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno Karabakh.

For more information on the Swiss Peace Initiative: www.swisspeacekarabakh.com

Joel Veldkamp
Christian Solidarity International
76 258 15 74
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