BAKU: Azeri MPs say Baku not to object to Armenian presence at NATO

Azeri MPs say Baku not to object to Armenian presence at NATO seminar

Ekho, Baku
2 Nov 04

As Ekho has already reported, the 58th Rose-Roth seminar organized by
the Azerbaijani Milli Maclis [parliament] as part of its membership of
the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is due to be held in Baku on 25-27
November. The seminar is expected to focus on ways of resolving the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. In his recent commentary on the issue, the
deputy chairman of the Milli Maclis, Ziyafat Asgarov, said that the
fact that the event was due in Baku would facilitate a solution to the
Karabakh conflict.

He also expressed his regret that “certain forces were interested in
disrupting the event”.

“The main thing is not who will attend the seminar. What matters more
is what issues will be discussed. Therefore, we need to focus on the
gist of the issue instead of trying to create a show around someone’s
participation in the event,” the deputy speaker said.

As for the participation of Armenian MPs in the seminar, a member of
the Milli Maclis standing commission on issues of defence and
security, Alimammad Nuriyev, said: “At this point there is no clarity
on the issue. But I would like to note that I have recently attended a
Rose-Roth seminar in Macedonia, and although Armenia was listed among
the attendees, Armenian MPs did not turn up in Skopje. I asked the
organizers about that and they said that as a rule, the Armenians
don’t take part in such meetings for different reasons.”

Alimammad Nuriyev said the Milli Maclis administration had already
expressed its attitude to the issue.

“It was stated that the visit of Armenian deputies would be
undesirable, but if they do come no-one would object to that. It was
stressed that members of parliament are not military men,” Nuriyev
said.

[Passage to end omitted: reported statements by the deputy chairman of
the Armenian National Assembly, Vaan Ovanesyan, and the head of the
Armenian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Mger
Shakhgeldyan]