SAMED SEIDOV: "EDWARD O’HARA’S REFUSAL TO VISIT THE REGION IS ARMENIA’S FAULT"

Today.Az
07 July 2008
Azerbaijan

It is Armenia’s fault that PACE rapporteur for studying cultural
heritage of the South Caucasus countries Edward O’Hara refused to
visit the region, said head of Azerbaijani delegation in PACE Samed
Seidov, according to Interfax-Azerbaijan.

"Edward O’Hara’s refusal to visit the region is the fault of Armenian
side, as Karabakh separatists in its ward, do not agree to allow PACE
rapporteur to the occupied lands via the Armenian-Azerbaijani front",
said Seidov Monday.

He said Azerbaijan is interested in O’Hara’s visit.

"His visit should be held in the legal frameworks, in the framework
of norms, adopted by the Council of Europe".

It should be noted that O’Hara has sent a letter to the administration
of the PACE Committee for Culture, Education and Science, where
he noted that he refuses to visit the South Caucasus due to the
"situation established there". Yet the rapporteur did not explain
the reasons of their refusal.

He has previously told reporters that Azerbaijani side agrees on
his visit to the occupied lands only from its territories. However,
Armenian side reported that in this case it does not guarantee security
of O’Hara’s visit to Karabakh.