Azerbaijan, Baku, 15 April / Trend / Speaking on the discussions over the post-election situation in Armenia within the framework of the PACE spring session, Ganira Pashayeva, a member of the Azerbaijani delegation, reminded European parliamentarians that Armenia has been pursuing an aggressive policy towards Azerbaijan for many years and does not recognize the countless UN and PACE resolutions and will not vacate the occupied Azerbaijani territory.
She said that the situation emerging from the presidential elections in Armenia, the internal political situation after the elections and the processing which took place in Yerevan during that period seriously concerns international organizations and causes discontent in the South Caucasus. Pashayeva emphasized that during his election campaign and his inauguration, the new Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has made statements which are harming the negotiations held with mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group.
"The worst thing is that the election of the Armenian President was held in the occupied Azerbaijani land - Shusha, Lachin, Kalbajar. Consequently, the Yerevan again harshly broke international standards and demonstrated its reluctance to adhere to the Council of Europe's efforts in settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," she said.
"Furthermore, after committing unlawful actions in Yerevan and then facing the reaction of international organizations, the Kocheryan Administration made the entire region dangerous by provocations in order to divert the attention of the international organizations and the Armenian community from the internal political processes. On 4 March, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire and attacked the positions of the Azerbaijani Army, the Azerbaijani settlements. Azerbaijan sustained casualties. The Armenian attack was foiled but the tensions at the contact lines are still persisting," Pashayeva said.
In her speech Pashayeva cited other concrete examples confirming the destructive position of the Armenian administration towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Armenia's wish to hold peaceful negotiations.
"Given the escalation of tension, we ask PACE to urge Armenia to put an end to its statements which undermines the negotiations. Furthermore escalation of tension in the South Caucasus is dangerous for all of Europe. Unfortunately, several Russian officials are working towards aggravating the situation in the region. Some time ago the leaders of the unrecognized republics in the South Caucasus were invited by the Russian Parliament for an event in Moscow where statements undermining the peace in the region were made. Our counterparts at the Russian Parliament should not forget that Russia is the co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group engaged in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Pashayeva said.