Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 11 2008

PACE Committee on Nagorno-Karabakh to Hold Meeting
11.01.08 20:09

Azerbaijan, Baku, 11 January /corr Trend I.Alizade / The next meeting
of the PACE Ad Hoc Committee on Nagorno-Karabakh will take place at
the end of January in Strasburg. `The meeting is planned to focus on
the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh and the visit of Ad Hoc
Committee’s members to the region,’ Samad Seyidov, the Head of the
Azerbaijani delegation to the PACE, Chairman of Azerbaijan
Parliament’s Commission for International and Inter-Parliamentary
Relations, reported to Trend on 11 January.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement which ended
the active hostilities. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (
Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

In 2005 the PACE passed Resolution No 1416 regarding Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. The Resolution highlights the fact of occupation of the
Azerbaijani lands by Armenia. The Resolution says that non-settlement
of the conflict presents serious threats. The control on
implementation of the PACE Resolution is made by the PACE Ad Hoc
Committee for Nagorno-Karabakh. The members of the Committee headed
by British parliamentarian Lord Russell Johnston are expected to
visit the region.

According to Seyidov, Johnston is expected to visit Azerbaijan on 25
February. ` Azerbaijan does not oppose the visit of the Committee
members to Azerbaijan. If the members of the Committee are willing to
visit Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan does not protest against it, but
provided that they will go to Nagorno-Karabakh via the Azerbaijan
territory because Nagorno-Karabakh is the territory of Azerbaijan.
The representatives of the international organizations visited
Abkhazia and South Osetia via the Georgian territory of and
Pridnestrov via the Moldovian territory of. Why should
Nagorno-Karabakh be excluded?’ Seyidov said.

According to him, Azerbaijan is prepared to create the conditions for
the Committee’s members to visit Nagorno-Karabakh.