CHAIRMAN OF CE CABINET OF MINISTERS: "THE SOLUTION TO NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT IS BEYOND CE COMPETENCE"
Today.Az
June 24 2008
Azerbaijan
Chairman of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers and Swedish
Foreign Minister Carl Bildt made a report on the first working day of
PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) summer session.
He said his organization always kept the situation in the South
Caucasus in the focus of attention, APA European bureau reports.
"Elections in this region were accompanied by some violations. It
is necessary to eliminate these violations and to achieve democratic
elections".
Carl Bildt said Council of Europe gave a fundamental importance to
the territorial integrity of Georgia.
"There is no doubt that Abkhazia will be granted with the wide
autonomous status in future, but it should not shadow the territorial
integrity of Georgia, because it can create threat for the stability
in the region".
Answering the question of Azerbaijani parliamentarian Ganira Pashayeva
"Why doesn’t Council of Europe demand from Armenia to fulfill its
obligation to withdraw its forces from the Azerbaijani territories?",
Bildt said the solution to this conflict is beyond CE competence.
"I can only say that the negotiations over the conflict solution are
developing and the presidents of both countries met in St. Petersburg
recently. I have no information about the results of this meeting,
but I can say that we should support such kind of meetings because
these meetings will bring the solution to the conflict closer".