AZERBAIJAN TO DISCUSS SETTLEMENT OF OCCUPIED AZERBAIJANI TERRITORIES BY SYRIAN ARMENIANS AT PACE
Trend
Aug 8 2012
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan will raise the issue of the illegal settlement of the
occupied Azerbaijani territories by the Syrian Armenians at the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
“At the PACE autumn session, we will surely raise the issue of
illegal steps taken by Armenia, which contrary to international law,
resolutions of international organizations and commitments to the
Council of Europe, settles the occupied Azerbaijani lands by Armenians
living in different parts of the world. We will raise this issue
in the case of Syria,” a member of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE,
MP Ganira Pashayeva told Trend on Wednesday.
Tension grows in Syria, and it is natural, that Armenia has started
to use it for illegal settlement of occupied Azerbaijani territories
by Syrian Armenians, Pashayeva added.
In addition to the violation of international law, it deals a serious
blow to the process of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
the MP said.
Pashayeva also called on the Syrian Armenians not to believe the
false promises of Armenia and not to come to the occupied Azerbaijani
territories.
“This is an illegal settlement. When Azerbaijan starts to liberate
its lands occupied by Armenia, these Armenians will be denied the
right to stay there and will be forced to leave,” she added.
Earlier, Armenian media quoted de facto Nagorno-Karabakh PM Ara
Harutyunyan, who spoke in front of Armenian youths in the Aspet
camp, that “Nagorno-Karabakh is ready to receive Syrian Armenians,
to provide them an opportunity to study for free in Artsakh as well
as provide them with accommodation.”
After Armenian media spread information about the settlement, Baku
raised the question with international organizations and the OSCE,
the Foreign Ministry told Trend earlier.
The question of the illegality of settlement on the historical lands
of Azerbaijan was reflected in earlier reports of the OSCE missions
and Minsk Group, the ministry noted.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.