"SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT IS OUT OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE COMPETENCE" – SWEDEN’S FOREIGN MINISTER

Trend News Agency
June 24 2008
Azerbaijan

France, Strasburg, 24 June / TrendNews corr. A.Maharramli / Solution
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is out of the Council of Europe
competence. This was said by Carl Bildt, Sweden’s Foreign Minister
and Chairman of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers,
while answering to Azerbaijani MP Ganira Pashayeva’s question why
the Council of Europe did not demand from Armenia to liberate the
Azerbaijani lands.

"The negotiations to solve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict underway. We should continue to hold
meetings of the two Presidents, who are able to speed up settlement
of the conflict," Bildt said.

According to Bildt, the Southern Caucasus is one of the regions to
cause concern in the Council of Europe. Acceptance of three countries
of the region to the Council of Europe resulted to reach a considerable
success in human rights, supremacy of law and performance of democratic
institutions.

"Solution of conflicts will be the way to prosperous and economically
developed region. I feel regret that conflicts take dominion in the
political life of these countries. These conflicts are out of our
competence. I would like to say that we pay a significant meaning to
Georgia’s territorial integrity, and there must not be a doubt that
Abkhazia will gain a broad autonomy. As, this may negatively affect
the situation in the region," Bildt stated.