Azerbaijan continues to exert efforts to move the Karabakh conflict settlement format of the Minsk Group into another dimension. For example, the head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Samad Seyidov gave an interview, where he noted that the topic of the Karabakh conflict will be kept on the agenda of the PACE during the PACE winter session to be held in Strasbourg on January 22-26.
According to Seidov, this will not be hindered even by the change of three members of the Azerbaijani delegation in early January.
Aravot.am inquired from Arpine Hovhannisyan, the head of the Armenian delegation to PACE, whether Samad Seyidov’s statements are worrying. Mrs Hovhannisyan replied: “This issue is always on the agenda for the Azerbaijani delegation: they voice groundless accusations, use every opportune or non-opportune occasion to voice this issue and to accuse the Armenian authorities. So, Samad Seyidov has not revealed anything new in this regard. As for the mandate of the Assembly, it is not the Azerbaijani delegation to decide whether to keep the issue in the agenda or not. We have repeatedly repeated that the Parliamentary Assembly, in general, has no mandate to settle conflicts. I am sorry that the head of the Azerbaijani delegation has not understood this yet and does not want to accept it”.
According to Arpine Hovhannisyan, the head of the Azerbaijani delegation should be more concerned about his own delegation and country’s reputation and rating not only in the Assembly but also in all other places related to corruption scandals, instead of trying to bring the issue to the agenda of such structures that do not have a mandate to participate in its resolution”.
Members of the Azerbaijani delegation also have touched upon Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to Strasbourg on January 24 and his speech at the summit. Particularly, member of the Azerbaijani delegation to the PACE, Ganira Pashayeva, has stated: “If the President of Armenia again makes accusations against Azerbaijan in his speech, our delegation will give an equal response to it”.
In response to the question whether there is any possibility of tensions on Serzh Sargsyan’s visit day, Arpine Hovhannisyan said: “Anything can be expected from the Azerbaijani delegation. Let us wait and see”.
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
