‘No concessions for Armenia’ – parliament speaker
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 19 2005
Baku, April 18, AssA-Irada — Despite the OSCE Minsk Group’s
insistence, Azerbaijan won’t make any concessions for Armenia,
Parliament Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov said in a meeting with
representatives of the EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation
Committee on Monday.
Alasgarov said that granting the autonomy status to the Armenian
community in Upper Garabagh after Azerbaijan’s occupied regions are
liberated may be the only concession.
The speaker noted that although the conflict has remained unsettled
for many years, international organizations fail to make serious
efforts in this area.
“The peace talks are stalling due to the biased approach of
international organizations to the issue.”
Head of the foreign delegation Maria Ishler Belqueen expressed concerns
over unresolved status of the Upper Garabagh conflict and said that
she has become familiar with the living conditions of internally
displaced persons.
“Like the Minsk Group, we have an obligation to settle the conflict.
It is possible that we have not correctly determined our activity
for more than 10 years”, said Belqueen.
She said that the negotiations should continue at the meetings of
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents.
Touching upon Azerbaijan’s parliamentary elections due in November,
Belqueen said the Committee wants them to be democratic and compliant
with international standards.*
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress