Parliamentary questions | Doc. 14856 | 08 April 2019
Parliamentary question to the Chairperson-in-Office of the Committee of Ministers
Question from Mr Rafael HUSEYNOV
(open)Notwithstanding that 20 % of its territory has been occupied by Armenia, which caused one million human beings to become refugees and IDPs, Azerbaijan continues to support the resolution of the 30-year old conflict through diplomatic channels. The recently held negotiations between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia are actually serving this purpose. Nevertheless, at a time when a peacekeeping process is carried out through the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group, Armenian Defence Minister David Tanoyan stated in late March in New York that a new war will be launched to occupy new territories in Azerbaijan.
Mr Huseynov, to ask the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers:
In view of these threatening challenges, what measures can the Committee of Ministers take to counteract such undesirable statements conveyed by a high-ranking official which contradicts Armenia’s commitment to the Council of Europe on a peaceful settlement of the conflict, as well as seriously impeding the negotiation process?
Reply by the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers
I recall that mediation for the settlement of the conflict on Nagorno-Karabakh is under the responsibility of the OSCE Minsk Group. I would like to reiterate the long-standing appeal by the Committee to both sides to bring forward the on-going negotiations in order to arrive at a peaceful settlement of the conflict, in line with their commitments to the Council of Europe. Both sides should refrain from any statement or action which may jeopardise a process of reaching a negotiated settlement.
I was pleased to note that, according to a joint statement made by the ministers of foreign affairs of the two countries on 29 March, hours after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Vienna, "the meeting took place in a positive and constructive atmosphere and provided an opportunity for the two leaders to clarify their respective positions."
I hope the discussions between these two Council of Europe member States will continue in this spirit and I would like to underline the importance of early implementation of the Vienna agreement on measures in the humanitarian field, as well as of the agreement on measures to prepare the populations for peace.