Azeri Press Agency
Jan 22 2007

Rene van der Linden: PACE on firm position of liberation of
Azerbaijani lands

[ 22 Jan. 2007 15:06 ]

Today PACE President Rene van der Linden has held press conference on
the commencing of PACE winter session, APA correspondent in
Strasbourg reports.

PACE President mainly touched on the issues that are on the agenda of
the session and gave information about his recent visits to Russia
and Belarus. He also expressed his opinion to death of Armenian
Turkish journalist. PACE President said that he is not pessimistic
about non-ratification the 14th protocol of the European Court on
Human Rights by Russia and noted that he had met with the chief of
the Duma. Rene van der Linden stated that Duma still considers the
issue.

"We will try to inspire Russia to ratify the 14th protocol," he said.

He also touched on the problem exisiting between Russia and Belarus
and stressed about possibility that the tenseness happened because of
Belarus’s approach to the European structures. He wished that Hrant
Dink’s assassination will not influence the relations of the
organization and Turkey.

"It should not influence Turkey EU membership process either," he
said.

The PACE president said that Armenian PACE commitments will be
discussed in the plenary meeting to be held tomorrow and noted that
Karabakh issue will also be in the focus of the meeting.

"We inspire the sides in the negotiations on Karabakh. Of course CE
can show its position in the negotiations; simply, we are waiting for
the results of the negotiations. As you know, PACE adopted
resolution, showing its firm position that Armenia occupied
Azerbaijani territories," he said. /APA/