DECISION BY RUSSIAN STATE DUMA AND FEDERATION COUNCIL TO COMPLICATE SITUATION IN REGION: PACE VICE PRESIDENT

Trend News Agency
Aug 25 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 25 August / Trend News corr. I.Alizade / Samad
Seyidov, the Head of the Azerbaijani Delegation to Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and Vice President of the
organization, believes that the decision to support the independence of
South Ossetia and Abkhazia by the Russian State Duma and Federation
Council will complicate the situation and cause more problems in
the region. "The Russian two Parliamentary Chambers appealed to
the President with regard to the accepted decision. We should wait
for the decision of the President Dmitry Medvedev. I consider that
international legal norms will demonstrate their superiority,"
Seyidov told Trend News on 25 August.

In early 1990s Abkhazia and South Ossetia autonomy republic
separated from the country through Russia’s support and announced
independence. However, the world community did not recognize
their independence. On 25 August, Russian State Duma and Federation
Council supported the independence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Both
Parliamentary Chambers appealed to President Dmitry Medvedev regarding
with recognition of independence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Seyidov said that Azerbaijan wants to establish good relations amongst
its close neighbors and allies. Azerbaijan is interested in Russia
and Georgia to hold their activity within the international laws. "It
is also significant for us. We should follow the events and state
our position to solve the issue soon. We recognize the territorial
integrity of Georgia and want the problem to be solved within the
framework of international legal norms," Seyidov said. According to
Seyidov, Azerbaijan should implement careful policy in the current
situation.

Seyidov noted that the recent developments around South Ossetia, as
well as the recent steps taken by Russia will be seriously discussed
at PACE autumn session. The recent developments will negatively affect
solution of separatist conflicts.

"The recent development will not have positive results. We state
repeatedly that the key reason for conflicts in Caucasus has become
the presence of separatist regime in Nagorno-Karabakh. We also stated
that the unsolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cause the reason for
instability in Caucasus. Solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
may remove all separatist problems. However, it has not happened and
separatist forces became more active in the region," Seyidov said.