BAKU: PACE Chairman To Hold Meetings With Azerbaijani And Armenian D

PACE CHAIRMAN TO HOLD MEETINGS WITH AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN DELEGATIONS

Trend
April 23 2012
Azerbaijan

The situation with the Council of Europe’s subcommittee on
Nagorno-Karabakh remains unclear, PACE chairman Jean-Claude Mignon
told media at a press conference held within the PACE spring session.

He said that although the subcommittee’s activity was planned to be
resumed, the issue was not raised at the PACE meeting on April 9.

“I stress that this is a difficult question,” he said. “However,
I voiced the initiative to hold meetings with the Azerbaijani
and Armenian delegations, perhaps, a joint meeting with the two
delegations. I would like to hold a meaningful and constructive
dialogue with them.

This meeting could take place within the PACE spring session. But
the Armenian delegation does not participate in the session due to
the upcoming parliamentary elections. If this meeting fails within
this session, we will organize it within June session.”

He also added that the meeting is planned to be held with the OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairmen.

“I mean a meeting with OSCE Minsk Group co-chairman from France,”
he said. “It is difficult to say when this will happen.”

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 the 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.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress