AZERBAIJAN AGREES TO HOLD CONFERENCE ATTENDED BY ARMENIAN MPS: VICE SPEAKER

Trend News Agency
Feb 11 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 11 February /corr. Trend I.Alizade / Azerbaijan
has agreed to hold a conference on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
with the participation of the Armenian MPs. "Azerbaijan highlighted
its principal consent to attend the conference organized through the
mediation of the international organization for the Azerbaijani and
Armenian MPs," the First Deputy Chairman of Azerbaijan Parliament,
Chairman of Azerbaijan Parliament’s Permanent Commission for Security
and Defence, Ziyafet Askerov, briefed the media on 11 February.

Lord Russell Johnston, the Head of the Sub-committee on the
Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE), visited Azerbaijan and Armenia. He discussed the
possibility of holding a conference in April 2008 in Strasburg with
the participation of the Azerbaijani and Armenian MPs.

"However, we oppose bilateral co-operation with Armenia until the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Askerov added.

According to the First Deputy Chairman, the Azerbaijani side hopes
that the events being held through mediation of the international
organizations will bring positive results. "We have attended many
such events, but always they have not had any results. In addition,
we want the international organizations to approach the implementation
of the PACE Resolution 1416 on Nagorno-Karabakh seriously and put
pressure on Armenia in this regard," Askerov said.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to the Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, the Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven neighbouring
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
the peaceful negotiations.

In January 2005, PACE passed Resolution 1416 in connection with the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem. The Resolution says that Armenia occupies
Azerbaijani territories. It also contains various suggestions to
settle the conflict. The PACE established a subcommittee to control
the realization of the document.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress