Azernews.Az

BAKU – A senior member of the Council of Europe parliamentary assembly has condemned the ongoing occupation of Azerbaijan’s territory by neighboring Armenia.

"This fact contradicts European values, the norms and principles of international law. Armenia must withdraw from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan," chairman of the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Christos Pourgourides, said on a visit to Baku.

Azerbaijan and Armenia waged a brutal war in the early 1990s. About 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including Nagorno Karabakh, has been under the occupation of Armenian armed forces since a ceasefire was signed in 1994.

Pourgourides has met with Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov.

The PACE representative said he visited Azerbaijan five years ago, adding that over the past years the country has developed rapidly. He also praised the efforts made in Azerbaijan to promote the protection of human rights and freedoms.

Asadov, in turn, praised the cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe. He said important steps had been taken in Azerbaijan to bring domestic laws into compliance with European standards since the country joined the CoE. Asadov noted the CoE had an important role in the development of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan.

The speaker also expressed disappointment over PACE’s "double-standard approach towards Azerbaijan", referring to the appointment of a PACE rapporteur on so-called political prisoners.