PACE Chairman asks Azerbaijan to mediate in Belarus issue

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Mevlut Chavushoglu held a press conference today before the plenary meeting of the organization’s spring session.

APA’s Europe bureau reports that the PACE chairman expressed his positions on the issues which will be discussed at the summer session and answered the questions of the journalists.

To the question how he assessed the situation in the country connected with last visit to Azerbaijan, Chavushoglu said that he held several important meetings in Azerbaijan and could learn the situation in Azerbaijan more closely: "At first I congratulate the Azerbaijani government on the holding of the World Forum on Intercultural dialogue in Azerbaijan. It was quite successful. This topic is one of the matter of priority which is paid attention by me. That is why I have addressed at this Forum. The meeting was held at high level both from the point of view of organization and participants".

Touching the common situation in Azerbaijan, PACE Chairman said that co-chairs for the country keep the situation under control: "In my turn, I denounced the PACE’s all necessary messages on democracy and human rights at my meetings with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, the foreign minister and the speaker of the Parliament. Besides we discussed the important reforms which will be implemented. At the same time we spoke about the persons which were arrested during the rallies. It was said that these persons will be liberated soon. Especially I asked the necessity of adoption of important draft laws from the speaker of the Parliament. It was also reflected in the report in the parliamentary elections. Besides I hold discussions with the deputy foreign minister on the situation in Belarus. As you know, Azerbaijan is included to the European Union’s "Euronest" program, though Belarus was removed from this program. I exchanged view on relations between Belarus and the European Union with the deputy foreign minister and asked Azerbaijan to become mediator in the direction of taking efforts for security of positive steps from Minsk. In general, I asked all the member countries to take steps for positive development of events in Belarus".


/APA/