ARMENIAN OPPOSITION DESTABILIZES SITUATION IN REGION – AZERBAIJANI MP

Trend News Agency
April 15 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 15 April / Trend News / Speaking on the discussions
over the post-election situation in Armenia within the framework of
the PACE spring session, Ganira Pashayeva, a member of the Azerbaijani
delegation, reminded European parliamentarians that Armenia has been
pursuing an aggressive policy towards Azerbaijan for many years and
does not recognize the countless UN and PACE resolutions and will
not vacate the occupied Azerbaijani territory.

She said that the situation emerging from the presidential elections
in Armenia, the internal political situation after the elections and
the processing which took place in Yerevan during that period seriously
concerns international organizations and causes discontent in the South
Caucasus. Pashayeva emphasized that during his election campaign and
his inauguration, the new Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has made
statements which are harming the negotiations held with mediation of
the OSCE Minsk Group.

"The worst thing is that the election of the Armenian President was
held in the occupied Azerbaijani land – Shusha, Lachin, Kalbajar.

Consequently, the Yerevan again harshly broke international standards
and demonstrated its reluctance to adhere to the Council of Europe’s
efforts in settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," she said.

"Furthermore, after committing unlawful actions in Yerevan and then
facing the reaction of international organizations, the Kocheryan
Administration made the entire region dangerous by provocations in
order to divert the attention of the international organizations and
the Armenian community from the internal political processes. On 4
March, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire and attacked
the positions of the Azerbaijani Army, the Azerbaijani settlements.

Azerbaijan sustained casualties. The Armenian attack was foiled but the
tensions at the contact lines are still persisting," Pashayeva said.

In her speech Pashayeva cited other concrete examples confirming
the destructive position of the Armenian administration towards the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Armenia’s wish to
hold peaceful negotiations.

"Given the escalation of tension, we ask PACE to urge Armenia to put
an end to its statements which undermines the negotiations.

Furthermore escalation of tension in the South Caucasus is dangerous
for all of Europe. Unfortunately, several Russian officials are
working towards aggravating the situation in the region. Some
time ago the leaders of the unrecognized republics in the South
Caucasus were invited by the Russian Parliament for an event in
Moscow where statements undermining the peace in the region were
made. Our counterparts at the Russian Parliament should not forget
that Russia is the co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group engaged in the
peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Pashayeva said.