Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 15 / Trend E.Ostapenko /
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's tenth Winter Meeting will not hold a voting to appoint a Special Representative on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The tenth Winter Meeting will take place on Feb.24-25 in Vienna. Around 250 parliamentarians from 55 countries are expected to participate in the annual Vienna meeting.
"The OSCE parliamentarians may address the question of appointing a new representative of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on Nagorno-Karabakh, but they will not vote for candidates," the structure's press service told Trend.
The appointment of the OSCE PA representatives on various issues is the prerogative of the Assembly President, the press service reported. Assembly President Petros Efthymiou is authorized to appoint his special representative in accordance with his own schedule.
Candidates for this position have not yet been officially announced.
Earlier, the Azerbaijani and Armenian diplomatic sources reported that the winter session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will announce name of the new envoy.
Former OSCE PA Special Representative on Nagorno Karabakh and Georgia Goran Lannmarker left the post in November. Lannmarker was not been reelected in the parliamentary elections in Sweden in September and is no longer a member of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Regarding Efthymiou's visit to the South Caucasus region, the press service noted that the visit will be aimed to strengthen the role of civil society in these countries, conduct of free and fair elections, rule of law and human rights, as well as strengthen the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's dialogue with the government and civil society.
Details of the visit are being prepared. Efthymiou is expected to visit the region in spring.
The upcoming visit will be Efthymiou's first visit to Azerbaijan as president of the OSCE PA. He was elected in July last year and replaced Joao Soares.