BAKU: Azeri MP slams French parliament `genocide’ decision

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
May 14 2006
Azeri MP slams French parliament `genocide’ decision
AssA-Irada 14/05/2006 01:44
An Azeri parliament member has aired discontent over the law the
French parliament is planning to enforce that allows prosecuting
persons denying the so-called Armenian genocide.
Raising the issue at a session of the Milli Majlis (parliament) on
Friday, the Great Establishment Party chairman, MP Fazil
Gazanfaroghlu suggested that Azerbaijan reject this country’s
co-chairmanship in the OSCE Minsk Group (MG) mediating settlement to
the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.
The MP said the stance of all the three countries co-chairing the MG
(Russia, France and the United States) on the Garabagh problem is
against Azerbaijan. `We should therefore ensure that another, more
neutral country, replaces France,’ he said.
Gazanfaroghlu said Azerbaijan should stand by Turkey on the issue.
`The claims being laid out against Turkey directly refer to
Azerbaijan. If we do not take this seriously, the French Senate may
also pass a decision in the near future criminalizing the recognition
of Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh as Azeri territory,’ the MP said.
Gazanfaroghlu suggested that the legislative body set up a taskforce
that would further prepare an appeal to world parliamentarians. `It
should say that the French parliament’s decision was fully prompted
by their harboring Armenians and animosity toward Turks.’