Azernews.Az

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Lluis Maria de Puig visiting Azerbaijan has said he recognized Armenia as an aggressor state.
The statement came at his meeting with Azerbaijani political party leaders in the Milli Majlis (parliament) on Tuesday.
Puig said the Council of Europe recognized Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, stressing that the country's Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh region has been occupied by Armenia.
"We recognize Azerbaijan's borders reflected in international documents," he said.
Puig emphasized that this was indicated in a resolution passed at PACE's summer session. He pledged to reiterate his statement condemning the Armenian aggression during his visit to Armenia to be paid in a week.
The PACE president said the goal of his visit to Azerbaijan was not to look for any problems facing the country but to continue dialog on democratic development and to assist in moving the process forward.
"PACE supports the democratic reforms carried out in Azerbaijan in the past years. Indeed, human rights are protected in your country and a legal state is being built. Azerbaijan has made great accomplishments in this area," Puig said.
Deputy chairman of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) Ali Ahmadov, touching on the Armenian aggression, reminded that over 20% of Azerbaijani territories remain under occupation. He said the inability to fully use the resources available was posing obstacles for the country's multi-faceted development.
"PACE should facilitate settlement to the Garabagh conflict more effectively as much as it can. Azerbaijan has the right to demand that international organizations take more resolute action to advance the solution of this problem," Ahmadov said.
The NAP deputy chairman said there was a public opinion that the world community approaches the issue with double standards in some cases. He said substantial steps were needed from international organizations toward ending the Armenian aggression to ensure that justice prevails in the South Caucasus region.
The PACE head is expected to meet with President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Artur Rasizada and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov as well as representatives of civil society, the media and diplomats during his visit to Baku.