Washington, D.C., July 7, 2025 — A high-level delegation consisting of Swiss Parliamentarians Erich Vontobel (Federal Democratic Union) and Lukas Reimann (Swiss People’s Party), Dr. John Eibner, International President of Christian Solidarity International, and Vartan Oskanian, former Foreign Minister of Armenia, is in Washington, D.C. this week to present the Swiss Peace Initiative on Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and to advocate for stronger U.S. engagement in advancing justice and long-term stability in the South Caucasus.
In March 2025, the Swiss Parliament passed a landmark resolution mandating the Federal Council to convene an international peace forum. The goal of the forum is to facilitate direct dialogue — under international supervision — between Azerbaijani authorities and representatives of the displaced Armenian population of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), with the aim of negotiating a voluntary, collective, and dignified return.
The delegation began its visit on the morning of Monday, July 7, with a meeting at the U.S. State Department with Deputy Assistant Secretaries of State Jake McGee and Monica Ager Jacobsen, where discussions focused on the rights of displaced Armenians and recent developments in the South Caucasus and the wider region.
Throughout the week, the delegation will continue engaging with Members of Congress, human rights organizations, and policy institutions to build support for the Swiss Peace Initiative and ensure the plight of the displaced Armenian population of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) remains on the international agenda.
As part of this effort, a congressional briefing will take place tomorrow, on Tuesday, July 8, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2044. Media and policy professionals are welcome to attend.
