BAKU: Samad Seyidov: "PACE New Subcommittee On Conflicts Will Study

SAMAD SEYIDOV: "PACE NEW SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONFLICTS WILL STUDY NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT AS WELL"

APA
Feb 10 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Lachin Sultanova-APA. Head of the Azerbaijani delegation to
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Samad
Seyidov’s interview with APA

– What case of necessity forced the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe to establish the subcommittee for learning the
conflicts and what will its activity cover?

-The subcommittee was established for special researches and
investigations to prevent the conflicts between the member countries
and its growing to the war after the Georgia-Russia conflict. Its
necessity was seriously raised in PACE and in its January session,
the bureau decided to establish the special subcommittee to prevent
the conflicts between the member countries. British parliamentarian
David Wilshire was appointed the chairman of the subcommittee. It
will determine its concrete activity in the April session. According
to the rule of the Council of Europe, the subcommittees hold their
meetings within the PACE sessions because it is difficult to hold
the meetings in the intersession period. Of course, we will follow
the subcommittee’s activity, when it will begin in the April session
and if it is necessary we will actively participate in its work.

– Will the subcommittee address the Nagorno Karabakh problem? PACE
already has its subcommittee for Nagorno Karabakh.

-Of course, anyway issues on Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be
discussed. There will be relations between this subcommittee and the
subcommittee on Nagorno Karabakh. We support this. We are ready to
help the committee so that the subcommittee can organize its activity
normally and properly.

– David Wilshire said the subcommittee will hold various meetings
in connection with the conflicts. Will any event on Nagorno Karabakh
be held?

-As I have said, there is no concrete, con firmed action plan. But
various meetings, talks and conferences are held when a subcommittee
is set up. This is their style. The working principle of subcommittees
is to hold roundtables, conferences and other events. Nagorno Karabakh
conflict has been discussed in PACE several times, conference on the
"frozen conflicts" was held in Berlin last year. Earlier, heads of
Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations and members of the subcommittee
had talks in the subcommittee on Nagorno Karabakh.

– Will anyone from Azerbaijani delegation be elected to the new
subcommittee?

-Every PACE member can participate in the work of subcommittees when
important issues, problems arise. Only one PACE committee – Monitoring
Committee holds closed meetings. The meetings of other committees are
open. Subcommittees do not hold closed meetings at all and everyone,
who is interested, can participate in its work. There is no limit here.