Switzerland faces pressure to act on Artsakh peace forum mandate

(Horizon Media / ZURICH) — Switzerland’s Federal Council is facing renewed scrutiny over its handling of a parliamentary mandate calling for an internationally supervised peace forum on Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the right of return of its displaced Armenian population.

In March 2025, both chambers of the Swiss parliament adopted Motion 24.4259, instructing the Federal Council to organize, within one year, a peace forum bringing together Azerbaijan and representatives of the Armenians of Artsakh. The initiative was intended to address the collective and safe return of Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh following Azerbaijan’s September 2023 military offensive.

The motion marked one of the few concrete international parliamentary efforts aimed specifically at creating a dialogue mechanism between Baku and the displaced Armenian community of Artsakh. Its implementation, however, has stalled.

Speaking in parliament on June 15, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said Switzerland could not engage with representatives of Artsakh because it does not recognize the region as a state entity. He argued that Switzerland maintains official relations with states, not with “segments of another state’s population.”

Christian Solidarity International criticized that position, saying Switzerland has a long history of engaging with non-state actors in peace processes, including in Colombia, Sudan and Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. CSI said the Federal Council’s explanation risks undermining both the parliamentary mandate and Switzerland’s traditional role as a facilitator of dialogue.

Swiss officials have also pointed to opposition from Armenia and Azerbaijan as an obstacle to moving forward. CSI noted, however, that the adopted motion specifically calls for dialogue between Azerbaijan and representatives of Artsakh Armenians, not a state-to-state process involving Armenia.

A delegation of Artsakh Armenian representatives visited the Swiss parliament in April but was not received by the Federal Council or the foreign ministry.

The dispute has raised broader questions about whether Switzerland will implement its own parliamentary decision and whether any meaningful international mechanism will be created to address the rights, security and return of Artsakh’s displaced Armenian population.