29/09/2014 20:36
N. Zohrabyan: Azerbaijan wants to get rid of current OSCE format
An Azerbaijani lobby-submitted draft decision on the resolution entitled “Growing Tensions in Nagorno Karabakh and Other Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan” was put to the vote today at a sitting of the PACE autumn session.
The draft was presented by Azerbaijani delegation member Rafig Huseynov and Greek delegation member Dora Bakoyannis. In her speech, member of the Armenian delegation to PACE, secretary of Prosperous Armenia parliamentary faction Naira Zohrabyan called that initiative inadmissible and urged PACE not to overstep its mandate by taking actions that could damage the negotiations and deepen the mistrust between the sides.
“We understand clearly why our partners put forward such an initiative. Azerbaijan’s aim is to torpedo the talks on a settlement to the Karabakh conflict. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs started a new process in parallel with the format accepted at the international level, and Azerbaijan adopted that strategy.
Why does Azerbaijan want to get rid of the current OSCE format? The answer is obvious: Baku is preparing for war. In order to realize the real purposes of that country, it is enough to hear belligerent, anti-Armenian statements of high-ranking Azerbaijani officials and follow the dynamics of the growing military budget of that country, its arms purchases, and violations of international obligations on control over armaments.
It is obvious that by such initiatives Azerbaijan is trying to distract PACE’s attention from the increase in the number of political prisoners and flagrant violations of human rights in that country.
In fact, the country now chairing the CE Committee of Ministers has discredited this organization, which is a guarantor of human rights and democracy, and delivered a blow to its image by its open disregard for the values and principles of this organization. Such initiatives will directly damage the current fragile peace after the recent escalation of the situation on the border,” Ms. Zohrabyan said. She called on the PACE to recall the extremely negative effect of the 2005 resolution on the same issue, in particular the loss of trust between the delegations, the growing belligerent rhetoric of Baku, the increase in violations on the Line of Contact, etc.