Azeri foreign ministry says visas not to be issued to Armenian MPs

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
8 Nov 04

[Presenter in studio] The names of Armenian MPs who are expected to
attend the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Rose-Roth seminar due in
Baku on 26-28 November have been revealed. However, the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry said today that visas would not be issued to the
representatives of the aggressor-state.

[Correspondent over archive footage] Armenia will be represented
by three deputies at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Rose-Roth
seminar in Baku. The delegation will include the chairman of the
standing parliamentary commission on defence, national security and
internal affairs, Mger Shakhgeldyan, and deputies Aleksan Karapetyan
and Artur Petrosyan.

Mger Shakhgeldyan has said that the Armenian side had already informed
the organizers of its decision. As for the issue of receiving visas to
travel to Azerbaijan, the delegation will receive the visas in Baku,
end of quote.

While the Armenians are making preparations for the visit to Baku,
there seems to be no clarity on the issue in Baku. The Foreign
Ministry has stated that since there are no diplomatic contacts
between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Armenian deputies cannot receive
the visas in Baku. The Defence Ministry, in turn, has said that it has
nothing to do with the Armenian MPs’ possible visit to Baku. According
to the head of the ministry’s press service, Ramiz Malikov, since
this seminar is being organized by NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly,
all organizational issues are being dealt with by the Milli Maclis
[parliament], end of quote.

However, the Milli Maclis seems reluctant to comment on the issue. In
fact, the parliament’s press service does not even know the names of
the deputies expected to represent Armenia at the seminar.

Meanwhile, the Karabakh Liberation Organization has accused the Milli
Maclis administration of creating suitable conditions for the Armenian
deputies’ visit to Baku. The organization sees the recent signing
of a document in Paris by speaker Murtuz Alasgarov to form a joint
working group with Armenia as a betrayal of national interests. It
said it would prevent the Armenian MPs from visiting Baku.

Vusala Karimova, “Son Xabar”.
From: Baghdasarian