PACE Representative’s Visit To Karabakh Again Impeded By Azerbaijan

PACE REPRESENTATIVE’S VISIT TO KARABAKH AGAIN IMPEDED BY AZERBAIJAN

Karabakh open
Oct 2 2007

Russell Johnston, head of the PACE committee on the Karabakh conflict
met with Davit Harutiunyan and Sammed Seyidov, heads of the Armenian
and Azerbaijani parliamentary delegations visiting Strasburg for the
fall session of the PACE, Regnum reported. The head of the Armenian
delegation underlined the importance of the longed-for visit of
the committee to Karabakh and regretted that the visit is impeded
by Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan demands that the committee should visit
Karabakh via Azerbaijan. Davit Harutiunyan said the international
delegations always go to Nagorno-Karabakh via Armenia.

Lord Russell Johnston voiced concern regarding another delay of the
visit to Karabakh. Presently, there is no certainly regarding the
future. Most probably, Russell Johnston will pass his concern to the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In Strasburg the Armenian delegation to the PACE Davit Harutiunyan
also met with the CoE Secretary General Terry Davis. The Armenian
delegation asked Davis to focus on the fact that Azerbaijan is impeding
the visit of the CoE and PACE delegations to Nakhidjevan to study
the demolition of the cemetery of Djolfa, Regnum reported.

By the way, the visit of the PACE ad hoc committee appointed on October
8 to 12 failed due to Baku’s preconditions which demanded that the
PACE delegation should arrive in Nagorno-Karabakh via Azerbaijan.