Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 8 / Trend E.Mehdiyev /
Azerbaijan will raise the issue of the illegal settlement of the occupied Azerbaijani territories by the Syrian Armenians at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
"At the PACE autumn session, we will surely raise the issue of illegal steps taken by Armenia, which contrary to international law, resolutions of international organizations and commitments to the Council of Europe, settles the occupied Azerbaijani lands by Armenians living in different parts of the world. We will raise this issue in the case of Syria," a member of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, MP Ganira Pashayeva told Trend on Wednesday.
Tension grows in Syria, and it is natural, that Armenia has started to use it for illegal settlement of occupied Azerbaijani territories by Syrian Armenians, Pashayeva added.
In addition to the violation of international law, it deals a serious blow to the process of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the MP said.
Pashayeva also called on the Syrian Armenians not to believe the false promises of Armenia and not to come to the occupied Azerbaijani territories.
"This is an illegal settlement. When Azerbaijan starts to liberate its lands occupied by Armenia, these Armenians will be denied the right to stay there and will be forced to leave," she added.
Earlier, Armenian media quoted de facto Nagorno-Karabakh PM Ara Harutyunyan, who spoke in front of Armenian youths in the Aspet camp, that "Nagorno-Karabakh is ready to receive Syrian Armenians, to provide them an opportunity to study for free in Artsakh as well as provide them with accommodation."
After Armenian media spread information about the settlement, Baku raised the question with international organizations and the OSCE, the Foreign Ministry told Trend earlier.
The question of the illegality of settlement on the historical lands of Azerbaijan was reflected in earlier reports of the OSCE missions and Minsk Group, the ministry noted.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven 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 peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.