Denmark's FM voices support to OSCE MG activity on Karabakh conflict resolution
By Rashid Shirinov
Denmark's Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen, who is the new Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, encouraged Azerbaijan and Armenia to follow their commitments before the CoE on peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, when speaking at the winter session of PACE on January 23.
“Denmark, as the chair country of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, supports the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group on the conflict resolution,” said Samuelsen when answering the questions of Azerbaijani MPs Rafael Huseynov and Ganira Pashayeva.
The Azerbaijani delegation led by Samad Seyidov, head of Azerbaijani Parliamentary Committee on International Relations and Inter-Parliamentary Ties, is taking part in the PACE winter session in Strasbourg.
The Danish official noted that mediation for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the responsibility of the OSCE Minsk Group. This was repeatedly underlined by the Committee of Ministers, he said.
“It is central that Armenia and Azerbaijan abide by their commitments to the Council of Europe to settle the conflict by peaceful means. The Council of Europe can help establish conditions conductive to a peace agreement by encouraging confidence building measures,” Samuelsen mentioned.
Member of the delegation Pashayeva showed photos of Azerbaijani hostages Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev, documenting the atrocity of Armenia against them, and raised the issue of Asgarov and Guliyev, whom Armenia illegally holds hostage, tortures and does not release, thus ignoring international appeals. The MP also recalled the violation of human rights of Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs, whom the official Yerevan, ignoring the PACE resolutions, does not let return to their homes.
“The families of Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev, who are illegally held hostage by Armenia, have been waiting for many months from you, as from the new chairman of the Committee of Ministers, for support on their release,” Pashayeva told Samuelsen. She also pointed out that for 25 years, a million of Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs cannot return to their homes because Armenia occupied Azerbaijani lands.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict 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 regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.
Until now, Armenia controls fifth part of Azerbaijan’s territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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