AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT DISCUSSES ACTIVITIES OF OSCE MINSK GROUP’S CO-CHAIRS

Trend News Agency
April 1 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 1 April / TrendNews corr I. Alizade/ The members
of Azerbaijani Parliament urge to send protest letters to all the
countries, particularly to the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk
Group (USA, Russia, France), which voted against the Resolution on
the Occupied Territory of Azerbaijan at the UN General Assembly.

"The Azerbaijani Parliament should express its attitude to the
question. The friendship groups of the parliament should send protest
letters to the countries which voted against or abstained from voting,"
MP Mubariz Gurbanli, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the governing
New Azerbaijan Party (NAP), said at the Parliament on 1 April.

The Resolution which was supported by 39 UN member countries calls
to respect and support the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan within the borders which were recognized by the world
community.

The OSCE Minsk Group’s Co-chairs believe that the UN Resolution, which
was initiated by Baku, creates obstacles for continuation of peaceful
negotiations for the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

According to Gurbanli, the recent resolution which was passed at the
UN General Assembly is the success of Azerbaijani diplomacy. He urges
the Parliament first of all to send protest letters to the co-chairing
countries of the Minsk Group.

MP Zahid Oruj said that the Azerbaijani Parliament should discuss
the activities and recent steps of the OSCE Minsk Group.

"The Azerbaijani Parliament should send protest letters to the
countries which voted against the Resolution. At the same time,
gratitude letters should be send to the countries which voted in
favour of the document," MP Ali Masimov said.

MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev believes that the situation that occurred around
the solution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be discussed in the
Parliament. "The discussions should be held in the Parliament with
the participation of President and Government. The latest discussion
in UN demonstrates that not only Russia, but the west countries are
also interested that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should remain in
the frozen state. We should state openly to the population that the
peaceful settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh is impossible."

Hasanguliyev supported the initiative to sent protest letters to the
countries which voted against the resolution and gratitude letters
to the countries which voted in favour of it.

MP Ganira Pashayeva proposed to discuss the activity of OSCE Minsk
group co-chairs in the Parliament. Parliament must express its relation
to this issue, she said.

MPs Ikram Israfil, Sabir Rustamkhanli, Fazil Gazanfaroglu, Siyavush
Novruzov, Panah Huseyn also supported the initiative to address
letters to UN.

Ziyafat Askarov, the First Vice Speaker, stated that Azerbaijan does
not intend to refuse from mediation of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. "I
support ideas stated in connection with the activity of Minsk Group.

Minsk Group does not consist of only three countries, which voted
against Azerbaijan, he said.

Askarov noted that Azerbaijan expected that during the discussions
in UN, the Minsk Group will abstain from voting, as the mediators
should not support either of the side "Presently, there is neither
international law norms, nor its logic. The international law has
become forceful law".