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internet:
PACE committee spells out steps to peaceful settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict
Strasbourg, 19.11.2004 – A report of the Council of Europe Parliamentary
Assembly (PACE) made public today spells out a series of steps Armenia and
Azerbaijan could take to fulfill their commitment to settle the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peacefully.
In a draft resolution adopted at a meeting in Paris on Wednesday, PACE’s
Political Affairs Committee expressed concern at the creation of
“mono-ethnic areas which resemble the terrible concept of ethnic cleansing”,
and reaffirmed the right of displaced persons from the area of conflict to
return to their homes safely and with dignity.
The committee called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to submit constructive
proposals for the peaceful settlement of the conflict via the OSCE Minsk
Group, which should conduct speedy negotiations. If these fail, the parties
should consider using the UN’s International Court of Justice, the
parliamentarians said.
Meanwhile, the Council of Europe should offer experts to help Armenia and
Azerbaijan draw up a political status for Nagorno-Karabakh. Both countries
pledged to use only peaceful means to settle the conflict when they joined
the organisation in January 2001.
The committee also condemned any expression of hatred portrayed in the media
of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and called for a Council of Europe action plan
for mutual reconciliation involving the media, schools and universities as
well as contacts between locally elected representatives.
It is proposed that the report be debated by the Assembly at its next
plenary session in Strasbourg (24-28 January 2005).
Link to provisional versions of the draft resolution and recommendation
—
The Parliamentary Assembly brings together 630 members from the national
parliaments of the 46 member states.
President: Peter Schieder (Austria, SOC); Secretary General of the Assembly:
Bruno Haller.
Political Groups: SOC (Socialist Group); EPP/CD (Group of the European
People’s Party); LDR (Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group);
EDG (European Democratic Group); UEL (Group of the Unified European Left).