Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Sept 16 2004

REPORT REFLECTING THE POSITION OF AZERBAIJAN FOCUSED AT PACE SESSION
[September 16, 2004, 13:11:17]

Regular sitting of Political Committee of Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe has taken place in headquarters of the Council
of Europe in Paris, 14 September, AzerTAj reported.

Members of Committee have discussed the new concepts of estimation
of the condition of the democratic development, the report under the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict, connection between
Europe and the USA, position in Macedonia, the pact of stability in
Southeast Europe and other questions.

The report prepared in connection with the Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorny Karabakh conflict, has caused hot discussions among deputies.
The English deputy Terry Davis, who started since September of this
year to work in the post of the Secretary General of the Council of
Europe, in detail informed the colleagues that in due time, during
his activity as the rapporteur, repeatedly visited the region for
detailed acquaintance with the problem, in detail talked not only
to heads of the state, politicians, but also representatives of the
public, has collected rich material and, at last, has prepared on
the said topic a report covering all spheres.

In the report, offered for discussion of deputies, completely have
found the reflection of the reason of occurrence and historical roots
of the conflict. In the report, it was emphasized that Armenia which is
putting forward territorial claims, occupied the lands of Azerbaijan
and has pursued in the occupied territories ethnic cleaning, that the
rights of more than one million Azerbaijan refugees and IDPs have been
breached, and that the aggressive state until now remains indifferent
to known resolutions of Security Council of the United Nations that
stipulates territorial integrity and sovereignty of each country,
on unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the
occupied Azerbaijan territories, and in activity of the Minsk Group
mediating in the peace settlement of the conflict while there is no
fundamental change, that for the prompt elimination of the problem
it is necessary to provide, first of all, territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan, then it will be possible to raise the question about
status of Nagorny Karabakh, and the means allocated in the budget of
Armenia on military charges, much more than it is allocated for the
same sphere in Belgium, and it represents serious threat for region
of Southern Caucasus.

Deputies Asim Mollazadeh, Samad Seyidov, Daniel Gulle and Jose Durie
(France), Hanna Severinsson (Denmark), Andzey Vielovieysky (Poland),
David Atkinson (England) have emphasized in the remarks during
discussions, that Armenia conducting aggressive policy has occupied
not only Nagorny Karabakh, but also other Azerbaijan lands five
times surpassing it on territory, that activity of the Minsk Group
while remains ineffectual, and refugees and IDPs do not trust the
international organizations, that territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
is recognized internationally, and granting to Nagorny Karabakh of
the status probably only under condition of inviolability of borders
of Azerbaijan, spoke about safety Armenians living there. It has been
marked also, that the report has a little bit compromise character.

Armenian deputies Tigran Torosyan and Armen Rustamyan, not receding
from the principle to blacken all and everything, began to prove that
Azerbaijan the first has untied war. A. Rustamyan, always distinguished
by his conservative statements, has gone further away, trying to impart
deputies the ideas that Azerbaijan, being guided by the positions
resulted in the report, will undertake new steps, even will untie war.

At discussion of the question on appointment of the new rapporteur in
connection with election of Mr. Terry Davis as the Secretary General,
participants of session have unanimously voted for nominee of candidate
David Atkinson.

The head of delegation Milli Majlis in PACE Samad Seyidov has
told: “The impressive part of the report submitted by Terry Davis
to Political Committee for discussion, reflects the position of
Azerbaijan. There were widely commented hard conditions of the refugees
and the facts of occupation of Azerbaijan territories, ethnic cleaning
by Armenia on the occupied territories, and the problem of one million
refugees and IDPs. But at the report, also there are moments, which
are not corresponding to Azerbaijan’s position. As a whole, I want to
note, that the report reflects our position. The new rapporteur is the
head of our democratic group David Atkinson. He should complete the
report and present it in the advanced form on forthcoming in January
of the next year of session for discussion of deputies. We trust, that
the substantive provisions found today the reflection in the report,
such questions as occupation of the Azerbaijan lands, territorial
integrity of our country, inviolability of its borders and others,
once again will find reflection in the report which will be submitted
to January session”.