Swiss lawmakers to brief U.S. Congress on Artsakh return efforts

Next Tuesday, two Swiss parliamentarians will hold a briefing on efforts to secure the right of return for the forcibly displaced Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). 

Organized under the banner of the “Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno-Karabakh,” Switzerland will hold an international conference meant to elevate the dialogue around the safe and dignified return of over 120,000 Armenians uprooted during Azerbaijan’s 2023 military offensive. 

The briefing, intended for Congressmen and their staff, will feature Swiss National Councilors Erich Vontobel and Lukas Reimann, former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, and Christian Solidarity International President Dr. John Eibner, and will invite members of Congress to engage in this effort.

The Swiss Peace Initiative, launched in Bern on May 26, was prompted by a motion passed by both chambers of the Swiss Parliament. It tasks the Swiss government with convening a neutral peace forum within a year between Azerbaijani authorities and representatives of Artsakh’s displaced Armenian population. The goal is a credible, internationally protected platform to support meaningful dialogue and safeguard the right of return in line with international law.

“Peace cannot happen while these people remain uprooted,” said Oskanian, calling the return not just a legal matter, but a moral imperative. Echoing this, Vontobel emphasized that the initiative is still in its early stages and requires international engagement to move forward.

Azerbaijan has already strongly condemned the peace initiative and does not intend to cooperate.