MP GANIRA PASHAYEVA: ARMENIA’S OCCUPATION OF AZERBAIJANI LANDS IS MAIN OBSTACLE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHOLE REGION

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 27 2007

"The recommendation of Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly to
the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on supporting
international investment projects in the South Caucasus are of
great importance," member of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE Ganira
Pashayeva said during the debates on the report on European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) drawn up by co-rapporteur
of the Committee on Economic Affairs Carles Gasoliba, APA’s Europe
bureau reports.

Ganira Pashayeva said that the recommendation on EBRD’s strengthening
its activity in the South Caucasus, contribution to the regional
cooperation, political and macroeconomic stability in the region
should be welcomed.

"Energy projects important not only for the region, but also for
Europe are being implemented in Azerbaijan. European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development supported the implementation of
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main pipeline, Shah Deniz gas field and
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline projects. Azerbaijan, Turkey
and Georgia have recently concluded an agreement on construction
of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. It will create conditions to travel
from Europe to Central Asia, China via railway and is an important
project. Cheap and high-quality railway will extend economic-trade
relations among Europe, South Caucasus, Central Asia and Caspian
basin. Therefore, we welcome EBRD’s future decision on financial
support to the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway," she said.

Ganira Pashayeva said despite occupation of 20 per cent of Armenian
territories by Armenia, problems of over million refugees and IDPs
Azerbaijan is developing rapidly. She said that Azerbaijan is of
strategic importance for Europe.

"The report says that Armenia’s economy deteriorates due to the
political factors – the lack of cooperation with Azerbaijan and
Turkey. I would like to clarify the issue. Azerbaijan has good
and broad economic relations with all its neighbors. But of course
Azerbaijan can not cooperate with Armenia, the country that continues
to occupy 2o per cent of its territories. 15 years have passed,
but Armenia ignoring the related resolutions of UN Security Council,
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) is still not going
to pull out its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Nearly one million Azerbaijani refuges and internally displaced persons
have become homeless for 15 years. Recent negotiations between the
two presidents [Azerbaijani and Armenian] in St.Petersburg failed
to reach an agreement because of unconstructiveness of Armenian
leadership. Moreover, official Yerevan puts obstacles to the
operation of corridors and communications linking Azerbaijan with its
part-Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic which pass through Armenia. As
the result, Nakhchivan has been suffering isolation for more than
15 years. We can help Nakhchivan only through Iran and Turkey. Of
course, at this background Azerbaijan can not possibly cooperate
with Armenia. Can a country possibly cooperate with another one
which has occupied its territories living one people as refugees and
IDPs?" Azerbaijani MP underlined.

Ms.Pashayeva stressed official Yerevanis responsible for future
development of Armenia, "Azerbaijani side states that it can
establish multi-sided cooperation, including economic-commercial
sphere with Armenia if it withdraws from the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan. Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani lands is the main
factor that puts obstacle to the development of the whole region."

The MP agreed to the rapporteur Carles Gasoliba’s statement "Regional
cooperation is important for the future economic, political and social
development of the South Caucasus and the protracted conflicts hinders
the regional cooperation."

"It is a reality that the regional cooperation in the South Caucasus
passes through the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh, Abkhazia, South
Ossetia conflicts. In this context, the international organizations,
including the Council of Europe should make stronger efforts for
the solution of these conflicts. Otherwise, the opportunities
of implementing the stability Pact for the South Caucasus as the
rapporteur underlined would be brought to zero," she underlined.