HEAD OF PACE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NAGORNO KARABAKH: "SEARCH OF WAYS FOR NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION IS NOT IN THE COMPETENCE OF OUR COMMITTEE"

Today.Az
/politics/44378.html
April 18 2008
Azerbaijan

"During the session of the PACE subcommittee on Nagorno Karabakh we
have discussed issues regarding the meeting of the delegations of
Azerbaijan and Armenia".

The due announcement was made by Lord Russel Jonston, head of the
PACE subcommittee on Nagorno Karabakh.

"We decided to put off the meeting of the delegations until the
PACE January sessions for two reasons. The first is connected with
the current siaution in Armenia. This problem has not yet found its
solution, therefore, the meeting could not have been held in June.

As an alternative it was proposed to hold the meeting during the
October session. However, presidential elections will be held
in Azerbaijan on October 15 and this is the second reason of the
delay. The heads of the delegations of both countries came to a
conclusion that the meeting should be scheduled for late January. This
will give us time for the needed preparations for the meeting.

I think, the most important is that both sides come to an agreement
on the date of the meeting. I will meet the new president of Armenia
in the near future, if exactly, in May".

The head of the subcommittee for Nagorno Karabakh also noted that he
does not plan to visit the region.

"It would not be correct to bound the arrangement planned for January
of the next year only to Nagorno Karabakh conflict. This is not the
main purpose. Search of ways of Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement
is not in the competence of the mandate of our committee. We want to
assist in building contacts between the parliamentarians of the two
countries. Thus, we will be able to create an atmosphere of dialogue
between the deputies of these countries".