Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, delivered a speech during the general debates of the 151st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. In his remarks, Simonyan stated:
Our humanitarian work is inseparable from our pursuit of peace. On August 8, 2025, in Washington, DC, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, witnessed the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan sign a joint declaration, representing a vital step toward ending decades of conflict and suffering.
On the same day, a text entitled an Agreement on Peace and the Establishment of Inter-State Relations was embraced by the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
As an outcome of the Washington meeting, Armenia will work with the United States and mutually determined third parties to create a framework for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity. This infrastructure project, TRIPP, stems from Armenia’s dream to create seamless, regional connectivity through its Crossroads of Peace plan, which provides for the development of a railway, with the prospect of developing highways, pipelines, electric transmission lines, and cables between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and neighboring countries.
Yet, I must note that the detainees still held in Azerbaijan represent a humanitarian obstacle that must be resolved. We seek the release and reunification of these captives with their families as quickly as possible. Another important humanitarian priority is the clarification of the numerous missing persons’ destiny.
We know Armenia is not alone in the struggle to build a more humane world. From Ukraine to Gaza, Sudan to Haiti, humanitarian crises are unfolding before our eyes. Civilians — women, children, the elderly — continue to bear the brunt of the suffering.
These tragedies are urgent reminders of our duty to act in defense of human dignity. We believe that human rights are universal and that, as such, their protection must never be selective.
Colleagues, the lessons are clear: Dialogue and peace must replace discord and war. Empathy, not passivity, must guide our actions.
Upholding these principles is our collective responsibility.