OSCE ACTING CHAIRMAN, FOREIGN MINISTER OF SLOVENIA DIMITRIJ RUPEL MEETS SPEAKER OF AZERBAIJAN PARLIAMENT

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Sept 5 2005

OSCE Acting Chairman, Foreign Minister of Slovenia Dimitrij Rupel
received Chairman of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijan Parliament) of the
Azerbaijan Republic Murtuz Alaskarov, September 5.

Touching upon the history of Azerbaijan-Slovenia relations, Speaker
of Azerbaijan Parliament said a group of friendship with Slovenia
was set up at the Milli Majlis. The forthcoming November elections
to the Azerbaijan Parliament will pass in free, transparent and
democratic atmosphere, Mr. Alaskarov underlined. He informed on
the Executive Order of Azerbaijan President on improvement of the
election practice, the Election Code, registration of more than 2000
candidates to election. We believe that the international observers
will be objective on the results of the elections, he stressed.

Then, Speaker of Azerbaijan Parliament updated the guest on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict and its sequences. He
also reminded the UN Resolutions, the decision of the Council of
Europe and expressed hope that the OSCE would increase its efforts
for settlement of this problem in peace way and in the frame of
international legal principles.

Expressing gratitude for provided information, Mr. Dimitrij Rupel
stated he was pleased of the meetings and information he received.
The major aspect is democracy and transparency in the elections,
but not who will win, he emphasized.

As to the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Mr. Rupel
said OSCE regards the problem attentively and makes every possible
effort to quickly resolve the conflict.

In the meeting, also exchanged were views on other questions of
mutual interest.