BELGIAN SENATE HOSTS MEETING OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN WOMEN
news.az
May 7 2010
Azerbaijan
Belgian senate A seminar ‘Peace by means of women. Women of Azerbaijan
and Armenia initiate dialogue’ was held in Brussels.
Seminar was held at the initiative of Dominique Tilmance, who heads
the group of the Reformer Movement Party on May 4-5.
According to sources in the Azerbaijani embassy in Belgium, Azerbaijani
women were represented by Tunzala Rustamkhanly, chairman of the
Azerbaijani-Turkish union of women. Armenian side was represented by
Rima Arakelyan, chairman of the Council for Missing people.
At the event on May 4, the sides exchanged views on UN resolution 1325
‘Women: peace and security’.
It involved head of the Brussels bureau of the UN Development Fund
Elissar Saru, head of the UN Bureau on EU and Benilux Jean-Luc Onkelix,
representative of the European commission on human rights David Zaru,
Belgian ambassador in Middle Asia and Caucasus Stephan de Locker,
senator Anne-Marie Liesin, Azerbaijan’s ambassador in Belgium Emin
Eyubov, Armenian ambassador Avet Adonts and others.
In his speech, Locker touched upon the issues of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Karabakh, energy problems and
South Caucasus region. Highly appreciated the energy potential and
role of Azerbaijan in the region, Locker accentuated the fact of the
Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani lands and noted that mostly women
and children suffered from both sides. As for the issue of human rights
and especially rights of women, Locker noted that unlike Armenia,
the situation in Azerbaijan is more favorable in this sphere.
Rustamkhanly informed the participants about the Karabakh conflict,
ineffective talks mediated by the Minsk Group and sufferings of the
Azerbaijani women. She voiced hope for the restoration of relations
between the two peoples after peace is reached.
In his speech, Eyubov informed about the conflict, as well as women
and children who died, were taken hostage or went missing. He stressed
the important role of women in building peace and security in the
world. Highly appreciating the initiative of senator Tilmance,
the ambassador stressed the importance of enlarging the format of
equal participation of the Armenian and Azerbaijani women of Nagorno
Karabakh.
Rustamkhanly and Arakelyan had a private meeting mediated by senator
Tilmance discussing ways of the conflict settlement and role of women
in this process on May 5.