Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 25
By Anakhanum Khidayatova - Trend:
It's necessary to find a solution over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Anne Brasseur, president of the PACE said.
She made the remarks speaking at the regular session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Brasseur said it's necessary to find a solution in order to advance in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, because it has been going on for so many years and there is no step forward. She added that the debates during the session will contribute to the settlement of the conflict.
She noted that the PACE doesn't take somebody's side in this conflict.
It is necessary to find a solution to the conflict and ensure the rights of both sides, Brasseur said.
The solution won't be found as long as mutual accusations are made, she said, adding that casualties on both sides are also unacceptable.
Two reports on Azerbaijan will be discussed during the OSCE PA Winter Session.
January 26, participants of the session will discuss the report on "Escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan" prepared by MP Robert Walter (UK), and the report by MP Milica Markovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) "Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water".
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
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