OSCE PA NEVER DISCUSSED TURKEY’S CO-CHAIRMANSHIP ISSUE

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.11.2009 14:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has never discussed
Turkey’s co-chairmanship issue, MP Aram Safaryan, Head of Armenian
delegation in OSCE PA, told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, commenting
upon statement made by Head of Turkish delegation to the OSCE PA
Alaattin Buyukkaya.

"Since 1993, Turkey has been seeking to strengthen its efforts in OSCE
MG. Armenian authorities announced several times that only neutral
countries can act as intermediaries in the process. Ankara has never
held a neutral stance. On the contrary, it continues imposing embargos
on Armenia, hampering its development," he said.

In a recent interview to Day.az, Head of Turkish Delegation to OSCE
PA Alaattin Buyukkayaa said mediators saw no obstacles in Turkey’s
becoming a co-chairing state. "If OSCE starts discussions over
the issues, Armenia will have no objection to Turkey’s membership,"
Turkish official said, adding that Armenia allegedly gave non-official
consent to liberating territories of Karabakh.

Safaryan denied existence of such issues in negotiation agenda.

"Parties, as we know, are currently conducting talks over Nagorno
Karabakh status. And Armenia has many a time insisted on admissibility
of any status inferior to the existing one. There’s no alternative
here," Head of Armenian delegation said, characterizing such statements
as Turkish side’s attempts to exert psychological pressure on Armenia.

In addition, Armenian MP said that OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is
"positively disposed to the issue."