Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
April 12 2008

Azerbaijani MPs Considers Necessary to Hold Hearings on
Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
12.04.08 09:52

Azerbaijan, Baku, 11 April /corr. TrendNews I.Alizade / The
Azerbaijani MPs consider it necessary to discuss the situation
emerging in the negotiation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia
with regards the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. `Currently certain
changes are recorded in the negotiations. Therefore, holding hearings
in Azerbaijan Parliament regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has
became utmost urgent, and even there is a great necessity for it,’
Panah Huseyn, member of Musavat Group of MPs which represent
opposition in the Parliament, reported to TrendNews on 11 April.

Hearings were held in the Parliament of Armenia with regards to
Nagorno-Karabakh. The declaration, passed as a result of hearings,
highlights impossibility of returning Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.

Huseyn considers that adoption of the `Resolution in Occupied
Territories of Azerbaijan at UN General Assembly’, election of the
terrorist Serj Sarkisyan, who committed crimes against Azerbaijan, as
the President of Armenia, as well as the hearings held in the
Parliament of Armenia with regards to the Nagorno-Karabakh and
declaration adopted by them, make it utmost necessary to present
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for discussions in Azerbaijani Parliament.

`Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was discussed in Parliament once. It is
fully possible to organize next discussions,’ said the member of the
Political Council of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party and member of
Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, Aydin Mirzazade.

He considers that conducting hearings, the Parliament of Armenia
wants to draw attention of the society away from tense situation
prevailing in the Country. The MP added that the government of
Armenia again using Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a trump card.

` Armenia organizes hearings in the Parliament, but the President of
Azerbaijan pursues the policy to settle Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
strengthens the Army and increase the budget,’ Mirzazade said.

The Chairman of opposition Democratic Reforms Party of Azerbaijan,
Asim Mollazadeh, considers that if there will be advancements in
talks on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, it will be possible to
hold hearings in the Parliament. `It is normal case to hold hearings
on important problems of the country. Even it is very much
necessary,’ he said.

`Discussions on the situation related to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement are possible. Parliament serves interests of people.
Therefore, if necessary, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be
discussed in the Parliament,’ said MP Gultakin Hajiyeva, Deputy Chair
of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE.

The Chairman of opposition Adalat Party of Azerbaijan, Ilyas
Ismaylov, along with the discussions on Nagorno-Karabakh in the
Parliament, all political parties and public organizations should
maintain this issue as the center point of attention.

`The Parliament of Armenia held hearings .But; I consider that we do
not need to repeat the moves of Armenia. We should ourselves take
steps to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,’ he said.

According to the opposition Great Establishment Party, Fazil
Gazanfaroglu, the source of indifference in the Azerbaijani society
towards the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the Parliament. `The MPs
have repeatedly raised the issue of holding at least closed hearing
on Nagorno-Karabakh. However, it yielded no results and the hearings
were not organized. The Parliament of Azerbaijan should express its
attitude towards the processes around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,’
he said.

The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in
1988 due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia
has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven neighbouring Districts. Since
1992, these territories have been under the occupation of the
Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire
agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France and USA) are currently
holding peaceful negotiations.