New PACE co-rapporteur on Azerbaijan to be appointed next week

"One of the two posts of co-rapporteur on Azerbaijan is currently vacant, but a new co-rapporteur is expected to be appointed by the Monitoring Committee next week on Oct. 1 during a meeting of the committee during PACE session in Strasbourg," McDonald said.

Co-rapporteur Zhivkova's resignation became known in June, but she is officially in office until appointment of a new person. Another PACE co-rapporteur on Azerbaijan is Andres Herkel, head of the Estonian delegation and vice-president of PACE.

MCdonald refused to comment on the most likely candidate for the post until he/she is appointed.

She said that the normal procedure is that the person appointed contacts Azerbaijani delegation shortly after appointment to introduce himself and to prepare - along with the other co-rapporteur - program of visits and co-operation with Azerbaijani authorities.

"Of course we would like co-rapporteur to come from Turkey, Georgia and other countries close to us. However, the discussion in the Monitoring Committee are held behind closed doors, so the name of the new co-rapporteur will be made public only after making a concrete decision," member of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE Gultakin Hajiaeyli said.

While joining the Council of Europe in 2001, Azerbaijan undertook a number of commitments fulfillment of which is monitored by the Monitoring Committee.

/Trend News/