NKR DELEGATES MIGHT APPEAR AT PACE SOME DAY

Lragir.am
27 April 06

Economic cooperation between Karabakh and Armenia must improve, stated
Deputy Speaker of Armenia Tigran Torosyan in Stepanakert, after the
meeting of the Parliamentary Commission of Armenia and Karabakh in the
capital of NKR. He emphasized that this question would by all means
appear on the agenda of the commission. In answer to the question of
the Lragir why the question occurred now, Tigran Torosyan said there
are issues which require a solution.

Tigran Torosyan told about the activity of the Armenian delegation
to the PACE. In the beginning it was stated that the NKR members of
parliament cannot be included in the Armenian delegation to the PACE.

“They may dream of the day, of course, when they participate as a
separate delegation,” he said. The deputy speaker of Armenia said
the Karabakh issue is intensively discussed by European organizations
in the recent 1 or 2 years. In 2005 the PACE adopted the resolution
#1416 on the conflict over Karabakh, several days ago a resolution
on refugees was adopted and a document on missing persons is being
prepared. Even an ad-hoc committee has been established.

Tigran Torosyan emphasized that so far the Armenian delegation has
managed to insist on the necessity of recognition of the right for
self-determination of the Karabakh people. And it is accepted. For
the PACE resolution, the parties are called for stopping militaristic
statements and preventing another war. However, Tigran Torosyan says
the resolution does not provide for sanctions. Perhaps, the mandate
of the committee of Russell Johnston was prolonged to control the
fulfillment of the resolution.

Commenting on Aliev’s recent statement about a settlement based on
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Tigran Torosyan said we honor
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan but it has nothing to do with
the right of NKR for self-determination. The international community
already accepts this, however it finds that the will for fulfillment
of this right must be confirmed. “Nobody doubts the results of another
referendum if it is ever held,” said Tigran Torosyan.

For the Iran-United States relations, Tigran Torosyan said specific
events by all means have an impact on specific conflicts, however,
“the possible strike of America is not the question that should be
discussed during the meeting of a joint commission.” “I hope America
will not strike, and if it does, it will not affect the settlement
of the conflict,” said Tigran Torosyan.

The question of the Constitution of NKR was also discussed during
the meeting. NKR Deputy Speaker Rudik Hyusnunts announced that the
constitution will have been adopted by the end of this year.

Currently 2 out of 8 chapters are being worked out. In this context
Tigran Torosyan commended the fact that a large number of laws in
the NKR legislation comply with European standards.

Both the Armenian and Karabakh parties assessed the meeting of
the commission as practical. It was stated that the meetings of the
commission are to be held twice a year. Tigran Torosyan promised that
the schedule will be fixed, and another meeting will take place in
the fall. He noted that the level of the meeting with the parliament
of Karabakh is as high as that of meetings with other parliaments.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress