Bahar Muradova: OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will hold hearings with the participation of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on Nagorno Karabakh conflict

“The 20th summer session of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Belgrade was on the theme “Strengthening the OSCE’s Effectiveness and Efficiency -- A new start after the Astana Summit”. This theme was discussed in all committees, plenary meetings. Several issues raised by us in the previous sessions were discussed during that session,” head of Azerbaijan’s delegation to OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), vice-speaker Bahar Muradova said in her interview.

Bahar Muradova underlined the appointment of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s special representative for the South Caucasus and Nagorno Karabakh.

"OSCE PA held hearings with the participation of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs directly engaged in the settlement of the conflict. We want the parliamentarians from the OSCE member countries to get objective information about the option of resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, process of solution. Some efforts are being made in this direction.

President of the Parliamentary Assembly Petros Efthymiou told us that he had sent a letter to the co-chairs concerning it, had a phone talk with them. Such hearings can be held during the autumn session of OSCE PA. If it does not take place for the reasons not depending on the co-chairs themselves, such a report can be made in the winter session of OSCE PA. We demand that OSCE Parliamentary Assembly as an institution of OSCE join the process of the conflict adjustment. In the winter session we raised the issue on including the clause about Nagorno Karabakh conflict into the report made by the Croatian rapporteur at the political affairs committee during the summer session. This issue was covered in the resolution adopted in the political affairs committee and 14th paragraph of the final declaration. The final declaration reads that OSCE expresses serious concern over the increase of tension around Nagorno Karabakh conflict. At the same time it urges to carry out the political steps on the settlement of protracted conflicts within OSCE. It is a very serious call. I think that the OSCE PA’s joining to the increasing intensive negotiations in this form will change the situation."

She underlined that the Azerbaijani side positively assessed Joao Soares’s appointment: “Our position consists in that only Joao Soares can be real candidate who can replace Goran Lenmarker in the OSCE PA. We were considering Soares’s influence in the Assembly and OSCE region, as well as his power to contribute to settle the protracted conflict. He has chaired OSCE PA for 2 years, before it he was the organization’s vice-president. He repeatedly visited Azerbaijan, Armenia and the South Caucasus. As a chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly, he is enough acquainted with negotiations held on Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the process, the position of the sides and knows the issue. Besides, Soares always demonstrated an objective position concerning the issues. From this point of view his appointment was welcomed by us. We expressed our opinion on it to Petros Efthymiou during his meeting with Azerbaijani and Armenian delegation on July 8. The Armenians also welcomed his appointment. We had a meeting with Soares after his appointment. The first thing that he said was that the Nagorno Karabakh must be settled. The OSCE and all its institutions must take the necessary efforts. The OSCE must increase attention to this issue within the PA”.

According to Muradova, though the exact date of Soares’s visit to the region was unknown, the special representative expressed intention to come to the region in the near future.


/APA/