Council of Europe official arrives in Azerbaijan to discuss Karabakh

Azartac news agency, Baku
22 Aug 05

The president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(PACE), Rene van der Linden, arrived in Baku on an official visit on
21 August.

Asked by our Azartac news agency correspondent about the purpose of
his visit at the Heydar Aliyev international airport, Rene van der
Linden said: “The South Caucasus is a priority region for the Council
of Europe. Processes under way here are constantly in the centre of
PACE attention. It is my duty as PACE president to gain an insight
into regional developments. I have visited Armenia and Georgia to this
end, and currently I am in Baku. I intend to hold a number of meetings
here and hold an exchange of opinions on the resolution of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and other issues and
to learn the position of Azerbaijani officials. You know that a
favourable situation has now developed for the resolution of the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and we should take advantage of this and
achieve the resolution of the problem.”

The guest also answered other questions from journalists.

Meeting Rene van der Linden at the airport were the first deputy
chairman of the Milli Maclis [parliament], Arif Rahimzada, the head of
the executive staff of parliament, Safa Mirzayev, and other officials.