Azerbaijani, Armenian delegations dispute during Euronest PA session

“The first session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly was held in Strasbourg on September 14-15. The second day of the session was enough intensive”, MP, head of the Azerbaijani delegation to Euronest PA Elkhan Suleymanov said.

He said that the discussions were held dramatically: “On September 15, the amendment proposals were offered during the plenary meeting to the final document adopted at the committee on political affairs and put to the vote a day before. There were factors in the amendment proposals, which attained great importance to us. We achieved the inclusion of such principles as sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders of the countries into the first adopted document. Pro-Armenian MPs proposed the complete exclusion of that principle. We haven’t agreed with that proposal and demanded to maintain the text in previous version. After putting it to vote, we achieved the maintenance of this principle’s version adopted a day before”.

The other issue consisted of proposal of Armenian delegation to replace the abovementioned principles with the expression “general international principles” in the other article. This proposal was also refused by the plenary session and the previous principles, which were reflecting Azerbaijan’s position, remained in force”.

According to Suleymanov, after that stage the Armenian delegation became more aggressive and threatened to boycott Euronest and use the right of veto protesting these decisions: “In this situation, Ukrainian MP, Co-chair of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Boris Tarasyuk approached us with a proposal to include a compromise principle in the final document. We said that we would agree with any compromise within the interest of our country in accordance with Azerbaijan’s policy. We added that, as a compromise, we could adopt the proposal asked by Armenian delegation – the proposal on “non-use of military force in the conflict’s settlement”. But Armenian delegation’s chairman demanded to include the principle of “right of nations to self-determination”.

We said that this proposal was unacceptable. Our decisive position, caused that two delegations, Euronest leadership and pro-Armenian members of the Euronest gathered in front of the hall, where the session was held. We have decided not to withdraw our position. New principle - “right of free and democratic self-expression” was proposed to the document due to the insistences of the Euronest leadership and attempts to seek for compromises. When we hadn’t agreed with such principle, Vice President of Euronest PA, pro-Armenian Sirius Volsky said that Baku wouldn’t host Euronest PA plenary session if we don’t adopt such principle”.

According to Suleymanov, members of the Azerbaijani delegation, especially Fuad Muradov, Ali Huseynli and Asim Mollazadeh took very active part in the debates. “Attentively analyzing every proposal and expressing their opinions, they were selflessly defending the interests of Azerbaijan. They could defeat Polish parliamentarian Sirius Volsky, who looked down on the representatives of the Eastern Partnership countries.

We undertook to accept the last proposal only upon condition that it will be added to the article not related to the conflicts, but related to civil society building and freedom of speech. But Armenian delegation didn’t accept it again. Chairman of the plenary meeting Christian Vigen suggested to discuss the issue at the Bureau again to reach compromise.

I was representing our delegation at the Bureau’s meeting. Armenian delegation insisted in adding the phrase “the right of free and democratic self-expression” to the article about the conflicts. I strongly protested it. Of course, the causes of Armenia’s insistence to add this phrase were known: basing on so-called referendum held by the Nagorno Karabakh’s Armenians in 1991, they intended to use this article and at the same time to achieve weakening of the resolution adopted in May, 2010 by the European Parliament about the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Sirius Volsky said if this article was not adopted, the plenary meeting wouldn’t be held in Baku. Volsky demanded to cancel the Bureau’s decision on September 14 to hold the Euronest PA’s next session in Baku. But the Bureau rejected his proposal. He said he doubted that Baku is interested in inviting Armenian delegation to Baku. Volsky said that he considered Baku as a dangerous place for the Armenian delegation. I called him to abandon his biased position and told him that Baku hosted a number of international events and tens of thousands of Armenians are living in Baku in peace”.

Member of the parliament said that the compromise document was not adopted as a result of discussions. Armenian delegation used the right of veto and was a cause of non-adoption of the document: We achieved to host the next plenary session in Baku and not to adopt the document, which was against the interests of Azerbaijan. The report of the Euronest PA Committee for Political Affairs, Human Rights and Democracy will be discussed at the Bureau’s next meeting.

Euronest plenary meeting in Strasbourg on September 14-15, 2011 was finished generally in favor of Azerbaijan. The first session of Euronest Parliamentary Assembly must be assessed as a great political achievement and significant step towards the integration of our country into Europe. It is very serious achievement that the next session of this influential organization will be held in Baku, capital of the country, which is non-EU member, but member of the Eastern Partnership”.


/APA/