TOROSYAN FINDS BAKU’S STANCE ON SOUTH CAUCASUS INTER-PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION WRONG

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Feb 7 2007

YEREVAN, February 7. /ARKA/. Armenian National Assembly Speaker
Tigran Torosyan finds the stance taken by Baku on South Caucasus
inter-parliamentary cooperation wrong.

Armenian National Assembly’s press office reports that Torosyan
reminded OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Chairman Goran Lennmarker as
met him on Monday in Yerevan that Armenian, Georgian and Azerbaijani
lawmakers started meeting from 2001 on Links British organization’s
initiative. Torosyan said these meetings laid favorable groundwork for
South Caucasus Parliamentary Initiative creation and these countries’
MPs gather twice a year.

However, he said, Azerbaijani parliamentarians are hobbled by Baku’s
uncompromising stance – Azerbaijani leadership remains adamant in
rejecting any cooperation with unless Karabakh problem is solved.

Torosyan pointed out that Azerbaijani authorities keep making bellicose
statements.

The speaker expressed Armenian legislators’ willingness to cooperate
with their colleagues from other South-Caucasian countries.

Lennmarker, in his turn, stressed the importance of inter-parliamentary
contacts saying cooperation on some issues related to seismic
security or water and mining resources should be strengthened through
parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue.

He thanked Armenian parliamentary delegation for participation in
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s work and expressed hope that Armenian
lawmakers would contribute to coming discussion over energy security.

Speaking on European integration, Lennmarker attached importance to
fundamental values.

OSCE PA delegation arrived in Yerevan on Sunday for a four-day visit.