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Trend, Azerbaijan
Dec 23 2011
FM says Azerbaijan will hold wait-and-see position on France's
decision to adopt "Armenian genocide" bill
23 December 2011, 13:22 (GMT+04:00) Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec.23 / Trend
S. Agayeva /
Azerbaijan will hold a wait-and-see position before taking any steps
in connection with the French National Assembly's decision to adopt a
bill criminalizing denial of the so-called "Armenian Genocide",
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at a
press-conference on Friday.
"Adopting the bill with 10 percent of total number of MPs is not
democratic and it cannot be regarded as fair result of the voting.
Baku will wait for further developments on the adoption of the bill
and believes that its final adoption is inadmissible," Mammadyarov
said.
On Thursday, the French parliament adopted a bill criminalizing denial
of the so-called "Armenian Genocide".
Some 45 out of 577 French MPs participated in the voting, 38 of which
voted for, while 7 voted against the adoption of the bill.
The bill envisages about one year imprisonment and a fine worth 45,000
euros for denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide".
Mammadyarov said if France held a fair position, it would not stir up
ages-old history, thus aggravating the situation in the region. "If
France wants to hold a fair position, then it must voice its position
on the issue of Azerbaijan's occupied territories, on the Khojaly
tragedy and availability of about one million Azerbaijani refugees and
IDPs. Such an attitude by France, as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group,
is regrettable," Mammadyarov said.
Mammadyarov stressed that recently the French co-chairman Bernard
Fassier during his visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia said the occupied
territories are the biggest problem, and being in Yerevan he added
that the Nagorno-Karabakh will remain as part of Azerbaijan.
"We consider this position is regarded as Paris's official position," he said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are
currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
Dec 23 2011
FM says Azerbaijan will hold wait-and-see position on France's
decision to adopt "Armenian genocide" bill
23 December 2011, 13:22 (GMT+04:00) Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec.23 / Trend
S. Agayeva /
Azerbaijan will hold a wait-and-see position before taking any steps
in connection with the French National Assembly's decision to adopt a
bill criminalizing denial of the so-called "Armenian Genocide",
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at a
press-conference on Friday.
"Adopting the bill with 10 percent of total number of MPs is not
democratic and it cannot be regarded as fair result of the voting.
Baku will wait for further developments on the adoption of the bill
and believes that its final adoption is inadmissible," Mammadyarov
said.
On Thursday, the French parliament adopted a bill criminalizing denial
of the so-called "Armenian Genocide".
Some 45 out of 577 French MPs participated in the voting, 38 of which
voted for, while 7 voted against the adoption of the bill.
The bill envisages about one year imprisonment and a fine worth 45,000
euros for denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide".
Mammadyarov said if France held a fair position, it would not stir up
ages-old history, thus aggravating the situation in the region. "If
France wants to hold a fair position, then it must voice its position
on the issue of Azerbaijan's occupied territories, on the Khojaly
tragedy and availability of about one million Azerbaijani refugees and
IDPs. Such an attitude by France, as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group,
is regrettable," Mammadyarov said.
Mammadyarov stressed that recently the French co-chairman Bernard
Fassier during his visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia said the occupied
territories are the biggest problem, and being in Yerevan he added
that the Nagorno-Karabakh will remain as part of Azerbaijan.
"We consider this position is regarded as Paris's official position," he said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are
currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.