STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS: On September 12, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Karen Mirzoyan visited the Basque Country Parliament, where he met with Parliament Speaker Bakartxo Tejeria Otermin, Information and Public Relations Department of the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Armenpress.

During the meeting, Karen Mirzoyan briefed on the processes of state-building in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and the international recognition of Artsakh, as well as the current stage of the peaceful settlement of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Karabakh. The sides exchanged views on the possibilities and prospects for cooperation between the legislative bodies of Artsakh and the Basque Country.

Karen Mirzoyan handed Bakartxo Tejeria Otermin the NKR National Assembly Chairman Ashot Ghulian’s invitation to visit Artsakh. In the frameworks of the visit, Karen Mirzoyan also met with representatives of the political forces in the parliament. Touching upon the Motion about right to self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh adopted on the same day by the Basque Country Parliament, Karen Mirzoyan described it as a positive development and noted that it was yet another important manifestation of the international community’s support for the continuous efforts of the NKR to develop freely and independently. He noted that the Motion will contribute to the developing and fostering relations between the two friendly nations.

 Later in the day, Karen Mirzoyan visited the city of Gernika, where he was received by Mayor of the city Jose María Gorroño. During the meeting Karen Mirzoyan noted that he represents a country, where peaceful civilians also fell victims to a disastrous war and paid tribute to the memory of the innocent victims of Guernica.

The NKR Foreign Minister also visited the sanctuary of the Basque people Gernikako Arbola (tree of Gernika), where the oath ceremony of the Lehendakari- Presidents of the Basque Country takes place. The city of Gernika is one of the oldest places of the Basque country. During the civil war, in 1937 the city was subjected to air bombardment and was almost completely destroyed. The famous piece by Pablo Picasso “Guernica” (1937) is devoted to this event.