Baku: On August 11, 2025, discussions on the Karabakh issue were held in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Swiss Council of States, the upper house of the Swiss parliament. The Geneva canton parliament had submitted initiatives titled ‘Annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh. Political prisoners in Azerbaijan’ and ‘Protection of Armenian cultural heritage,’ which were discussed during the meeting. These documents accused Azerbaijan unilaterally, demanded a ban on the import of Azerbaijani products into Switzerland, and sought recognition of the ‘right to self-determination’ for Armenians in Karabakh.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the committee deemed these proposals as one-sided and biased, opting not to bring them to the plenary session. The official stance emphasized that such documents contradict Switzerland’s principles of balanced and neutral foreign policy. This decision reinforced Switzerland’s intention to maintain neutrality in the ongoing conflict. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis clarified that the situation in Karabakh does not amount to a humanitarian crisis, and stressed Switzerland’s role in promoting dialogue without taking a stand against Azerbaijan.

In recent meetings, the Swiss Parliament demonstrated its commitment to international law and neutrality, despite internal pressures from political and diaspora groups. The rejection of these biased documents strengthens Switzerland’s reputation as a reliable partner for mediation in future conflicts. The parliament had previously supported a ‘peace forum for the safe return of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh’ and established the ‘Swiss Peace Initiative’ through Motion No. 24.4259.

Vasif Huseynov, head of the department at the Center of Analysis of International Relations (CAIR), highlighted that the rejected draft was filled with unfounded allegations against Azerbaijan. It overlooked the displacement of nearly 700,000 Azerbaijani citizens and the challenges they faced, focusing instead on claims of ethnic cleansing against Armenians. Huseynov noted that the draft was influenced by radical Armenian groups and their connections with pro-Armenian parliamentarians.

The expert pointed out that biased and untruthful initiatives could hinder peace processes in the South Caucasus. However, the rejection of the resolution on August 10 reflected a recognition of Azerbaijani realities by Switzerland and other countries. Such documents, initiated by radical Armenian groups, are seen as detrimental to peace and Switzerland’s relations with the region, especially Azerbaijan. The agreements reached in Washington on August 8 underline the potential harm of such resolutions to peace and stability in the South Caucasus.