Azernews.Az

For the first time in the history of the Council of Europe, a Turkish lawmaker has been elected president of the organization’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE).
Chairman of the PACE Turkey delegation and a deputy of the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, from the southern province of Antalya, Mevlut Cavusoglu, succeeded Spanish parliamentarian Luis Maria de Puig as the president of the PACE for two years on Monday.
Cavusoglu has been a member of the assembly for the past two terms and is known for his active contributions to various committees.
Addressing the first news conference since his election to the post, the Turkish MP said settling the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict was of great importance for Europe.
"This is an issue that is awaiting a solution. The [mediating] OSCE Minsk Group, the co-chairing countries as well as Switzerland continue making an effort aimed at resolving this conflict…As PACE, we will do
everything in our power to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Garabagh conflict. War is not a solution to the problems facing our continent."
The outgoing PACE president told the press Monday that the work of the assembly’s subcommittee on the Garabagh issue should be stepped up.
"We tried to foster a rapprochement between the two countries’ [Azerbaijan and Armenia’s] positions," de Puig said. "This subcomittee could be pivotal for predicting the political decisions of the sides. The newly-elected chairman will be furthering these efforts."*