Azerbaijan's permanent representative to CoE: Europeans were disappointed with Edward Nalbandian's speech

"The tone of the speech the Armenian Foreign Minister delivered in Strasbourg is not welcomed by the Council of Europe," Azerbaijan’s Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe Arif Mammadov said commenting on Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian’s speech to the 120th session of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg.

During his speech, Armenian minister accused Azerbaijan of “creating obstacles to the conflict resolution.”

"The Council of Europe is an organization where calls for peace with constructive suggestions are welcome. I attended the session, and I can say that all participants appreciated a speech by Azerbaijan’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev. In the meantime, the tone of Nalbandian’s speech aroused a general discontent,” the diplomat said.

Mammadov said almost all speakers at the Committee of Ministers session focused on reforms in the Council of Europe, the positive role this organization may play in resolving conflicts such as the Russia-Georgian war and others. Court reforms were discussed as well.

"But Mr Nalbandian devoted much of his speech to charges against Azerbaijan,” the permanent representative said. “It is clear, of course, that these accusations had no basis."

In his speech, Azerbaijani Deputy Minister Mammadguliyev clearly stated that "the CoE forum should not be used for propaganda purposes, and deplored the fact that Nalbandian takes the floor just to misinform the Council of Europe countries about the Nagorno-Karabakh talks,” the permanent representative added.

Armenian Foreign Minister’s speech almost made no mention of the updated Madrid Principles, which Azerbaijan has accepted, while Armenia delays response. Nalbandian talked about the original Madrid principles. But everyone knows that they were not fixed as principles back then and negotiations were held in Madrid,” he noted.

“But the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have already put forward updated Madrid principles. Azerbaijan has clearly voiced its position on them. Armenia is trying to get away from this, and therefore uses every possible platform to divert attention of the international community from these more concrete proposals,” the Azerbaijani diplomat said.

“For this reason, almost all delegations at the session were very disappointed with the tone of Edward Nalbandian’s speech.”

"He talked not only about Azerbaijan. He made equally unconstructive statements regarding Turkey's position. This kind of speech has never been welcomed in the CoE. Nalbandian could speak in such a tone somewhere in the Council of Ministers of the CIS, but this kind of statements causes irritation and rejection in the Council of Europe. So I think he had just the wrong address. Apparently, spirit of Soviet-like speeches is closer to Nalbandyan,” Mammadov said.


/Day.Az/