BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 27
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Crisis is observed in the Council of Europe, head of the parliamentary committee on international and interparliamentary relations, head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Samad Seyidov said.
Seyidov made the remark during the PACE winter session in Strasbourg, France, Trend reports.
“It is necessary to think about the future of this organization,” head of the Azerbaijani delegation said.
“This morning, for the first time, I have found out that the authority of the delegations of eight countries was disputed,” Seyidov said. “This is a vivid example that we are now in crisis. The main reason is that member states lack mutual respect, mutual understanding.”
“A colleague from Armenia spoke about my country in an absolutely unacceptable way,” head of the Azerbaijani delegation added. “Such a statement made by a representative of the country that occupied the territory of other country that committed massacres, killed children, women, is absolutely unacceptable."
Seyidov urged to refrain from such rhetoric.
Speaking about the report on Azerbaijan, which was presented at the session, Seyidov stressed that the author of the report expressed her opinion in an absolutely unacceptable way for the organization.
“If you are unable to respect others, the crisis will only intensify,” Seyidov added. “Therefore, I urge my colleagues to refrain from such behavior. We must think about the future of the organization. We should abandon such rhetoric and only this way we will be able to ensure the future of PACE.”
A winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) kicked off on Jan. 27 and will last till Jan. 31.
Azerbaijani delegation led by the head of the permanent delegation of the Azerbaijani parliament in PACE, chairman of the parliamentary committee on international relations and interparliamentary ties Samad Seyidov are taking part in the session.
The commission included MPs Sevinj Fataliyeva, Sahiba Gafarova, Rafael Huseynov, Asim Mollazade, Sabir Hajiyev and Nagif Hamzayev.
During the session, reports of the Bureau and the Standing Committee on the work done are being heard, the results of the parliamentary elections in Belarus, the activities of democratic institutions in Poland, the safety of journalists in Europe, media freedom and other issues are being discussed.
Azerbaijani MPs are taking part in discussions and expressing their opinions.
As part of the session, with the organizational support of the Azerbaijani delegation, an event dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy is planned to be held on Jan. 28.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn