With the motion 24.4259, the parliament tasked the Federal Council with organizing an international peace forum on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The goal is open dialogue: Under international auspices, Azerbaijan and representatives of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians are to negotiate a safe, collective return of the displaced Armenian population.
Population desires peace forum
Now, however, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has aligned with Azerbaijan's stance, informing the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) that such a peace forum is "not welcomed." This creates a deep divide between the government and the opposition ahead of the Armenian parliamentary elections. The Swiss initiative enjoys broad support among the Armenian population.
Ruling party alone in the field
The position of the Prime Minister puts his ruling 'Civil Contract' party in a predicament. By rejecting the Swiss peace initiative, it stands in contrast to virtually all other political forces running in the parliamentary elections on June 7.
Currently, the following eight parties and groups support the Swiss peace initiative: - Armenia Alliance (including the Armenian Revolutionary Federation) - 'Land to Live' Party - National Civil Union HayaQve (in an election campaign with the 'Strong Armenia' Party) - 'Mother Armenia' Party (in coalition with the 'Prosperous Armenia' Party) - National Democratic Alliance - Republican Party of Armenia - 'Strong Armenia' Party - 'Wing of Unity' Party
Federal Council must not yield
"It is deeply disturbing that the Armenian ruling party is asking the Federal Council to ignore the displaced victims of ethnic cleansing just before the elections. Hardly any other party in Armenia shares this view," explains Dr. Joel Veldkamp, Head of Public Advocacy at CSI. Veldkamp recalls that the motion 24.4259 was adopted by both chambers of the Swiss Parliament as an act of moral clarity: "No objection from a foreign government - especially not from those that do not represent the interests of the displaced - releases the Federal Council from the duty to implement this democratic mandate."
Karabakh Armenians demand implementation
The Swiss peace initiative is vigorously supported by the leadership of the exiled Karabakh Armenians. Back in February, Ashot Danielyan, acting President of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Speaker of the National Assembly, addressed Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in an open letter. In it, he called on the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) to take the necessary steps to implement the mandate of the Swiss Parliament.
No undermining of peace process
"The 150,000 displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh seek neither a geopolitical shift nor to undermine the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan," Danielyan clarified. "We trust that the Swiss motion will be implemented. It paves a credible and principled way for the displaced to realize their fundamental right: the safe and dignified return to their homeland."
Peace forum more urgent than ever
At the end of April, Danielyan and other delegates from Nagorno-Karabakh visited the Swiss Parliament to deepen the dialogue with National and State Councilors. Such a peace forum is more urgent than ever since the OSCE Minsk Group was dissolved. It was entrusted with the search for peace for 30 years before Azerbaijan enforced its dissolution as a precondition for the Washington Declaration of August 8, 2025.
Unique opportunity for Switzerland
Since then, a dangerous diplomatic vacuum prevails in addressing fundamental humanitarian concerns. This includes the protection of threatened religious heritage, access to cemeteries, or the exhumation of relatives for reburial in Armenia. The Swiss peace initiative now has the unique opportunity to fill this vacuum and provide a neutral ground for these pressing humanitarian issues.
Christian Solidarity International urges the Federal Council not to wait any longer, but to initiate the peace forum according to motion 24.4259 now.
More information on the Swiss peace initiative: www.swisspeacekarabakh.com
Press contact: Simon Brechbühl, Managing Director CSI-Switzerland, +41 44 982 33 40, simon.brechbuehl@csi-schweiz.ch Joel Veldkamp, Head of Public Advocacy CSI, +41 44 982 33 10, joel.veldkamp@csi-int.org (E) Rolf Höneisen, Head of Communication CSI-Switzerland, +41 44 982 33 77, rolf.hoeneisen@csi-schweiz.ch