PACE President urges dialogue on Karabakh conflict
By Sara Rajabova
President of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said dialogue should be facilitated for settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Anne Brasseur made the remarks when commenting on the activities of the PACE Subcommittee on Nagorno-Karabakh, highlighting the continuation of meetings between the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations in the future.
She will try to continue this parliamentary diplomacy, because a very serious conflict is going on, she said at a press conference held within the PACE plenary spring session on April 7.
"It is necessary to appreciate every opportunity for holding negotiations. That is why I will try to continue the tradition of the previous chairmen of the PACE," Brasseur added.
Brasseur also stressed that she will try to convince the leaders of Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations to hold joint meetings.
"It is necessary to facilitate dialogue. I will try to establish ties with the heads of both delegations to reach a compromise at this session of PACE and address issues such as how and in which form it is necessary to hold meetings, and on what bases the discussions should continue," she said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, the Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.
The UN Security Council's four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal have not been enforced to this day.
Peace talks, mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. through the OSCE Minsk Group, are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the Madrid Principles. The negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.