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AZERBAIJANI-ARMENIAN DISPUTE STYMIES EURONEST DOCUMENT
news.az
Sept 16 2011
Azerbaijan
The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly has not passed a final document
on political affairs following disagreement between Azerbaijani and
Armenian MPs.
The disagreements made for a dramatic second and final day of the
first ever Euronest Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg, the head
of the Azerbaijani delegation to Euronest, Elkhan Suleymanov, told APA.
The assembly brings together members of the European Parliament and
members of parliament from five of the countries in the European
Union's Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova
and Ukraine).
The dispute in Strasbourg centred on the wording of the political
document. The Azerbaijani delegation proposed the inclusion of the
principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability
of borders in the document to be adopted by the assembly.
This was passed at the committee on political affairs on 14 September
and again in plenary session on the 15th, despite objections from
the Armenian delegation, Suleymanov said.
According to Suleymanov, the Armenian delegation threatened to boycott
Euronest and use the right of veto to protest at the inclusion.
"The Ukrainian 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 made by the Armenian delegation - a proposal on the
'non-use of military force in the conflict's settlement'. But the
Armenian delegation's chairman demanded the inclusion of the principle
of 'the right of nations to self-determination'," Suleymanov said.
The Azerbaijani delegation said the proposal was unacceptable and
the two delegations, Euronest leadership and pro-Armenian members
of Euronest then gathered outside the chamber in an attempt to seek
agreement.
A new principle, the right of free and democratic self-expression,
was proposed by the Euronest leadership.
"When we did not agree with the principle, the vice-president of the
Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, pro-Armenian Jacek Saryusz-Wolski
said that Baku would not host the Euronest PA plenary session if we
did not adopt the principle," Suleymanov said.
"We undertook to accept the last proposal only on condition that it
would be added to the article not related to conflicts, but related
to civil society building and freedom of speech. But the Armenian
delegation did not accept this either," the Azerbaijani MP continued.
He praised his fellow members of the Azerbaijani delegation, especially
Fuad Muradov, Ali Huseynli and Asim Mollazade, for their active role
in the debates.
The discussion moved to the Bureau in an attempt to reach compromise,
but agreement could not be reached on where to include the phrase
"the right to free and democratic self-expression".
"I strongly protested against this," Suleymanov said. "Of course, the
reason for Armenia's insistence on adding this phrase is known: based
on the so-called referendum held by the Nagorno Karabakh Armenians
in 1991, they intended to use this article and at the same time to
weaken the resolution adopted in May 2010 by the European Parliament
about the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan."
The Bureau rejected Saryusz-Wolski's proposal not to hold the next
Euronest plenary session in Baku, but the political document was not
adopted, as compromise could not be reached.
"The Armenian delegation used the right of veto which led to the
document not being adopted. Our achievement was that the next plenary
session will be held in Baku and that a document against the interests
of Azerbaijan was not adopted. The report of the Euronest PA Committee
for Political Affairs, Human Rights and Democracy will be discussed
at the Bureau's next meeting," Suleymanov said.
He said the first session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly should
"be assessed as a great political achievement and significant step
towards the integration of our country into Europe".
news.az
Sept 16 2011
Azerbaijan
The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly has not passed a final document
on political affairs following disagreement between Azerbaijani and
Armenian MPs.
The disagreements made for a dramatic second and final day of the
first ever Euronest Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg, the head
of the Azerbaijani delegation to Euronest, Elkhan Suleymanov, told APA.
The assembly brings together members of the European Parliament and
members of parliament from five of the countries in the European
Union's Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova
and Ukraine).
The dispute in Strasbourg centred on the wording of the political
document. The Azerbaijani delegation proposed the inclusion of the
principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability
of borders in the document to be adopted by the assembly.
This was passed at the committee on political affairs on 14 September
and again in plenary session on the 15th, despite objections from
the Armenian delegation, Suleymanov said.
According to Suleymanov, the Armenian delegation threatened to boycott
Euronest and use the right of veto to protest at the inclusion.
"The Ukrainian 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 made by the Armenian delegation - a proposal on the
'non-use of military force in the conflict's settlement'. But the
Armenian delegation's chairman demanded the inclusion of the principle
of 'the right of nations to self-determination'," Suleymanov said.
The Azerbaijani delegation said the proposal was unacceptable and
the two delegations, Euronest leadership and pro-Armenian members
of Euronest then gathered outside the chamber in an attempt to seek
agreement.
A new principle, the right of free and democratic self-expression,
was proposed by the Euronest leadership.
"When we did not agree with the principle, the vice-president of the
Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, pro-Armenian Jacek Saryusz-Wolski
said that Baku would not host the Euronest PA plenary session if we
did not adopt the principle," Suleymanov said.
"We undertook to accept the last proposal only on condition that it
would be added to the article not related to conflicts, but related
to civil society building and freedom of speech. But the Armenian
delegation did not accept this either," the Azerbaijani MP continued.
He praised his fellow members of the Azerbaijani delegation, especially
Fuad Muradov, Ali Huseynli and Asim Mollazade, for their active role
in the debates.
The discussion moved to the Bureau in an attempt to reach compromise,
but agreement could not be reached on where to include the phrase
"the right to free and democratic self-expression".
"I strongly protested against this," Suleymanov said. "Of course, the
reason for Armenia's insistence on adding this phrase is known: based
on the so-called referendum held by the Nagorno Karabakh Armenians
in 1991, they intended to use this article and at the same time to
weaken the resolution adopted in May 2010 by the European Parliament
about the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan."
The Bureau rejected Saryusz-Wolski's proposal not to hold the next
Euronest plenary session in Baku, but the political document was not
adopted, as compromise could not be reached.
"The Armenian delegation used the right of veto which led to the
document not being adopted. Our achievement was that the next plenary
session will be held in Baku and that a document against the interests
of Azerbaijan was not adopted. The report of the Euronest PA Committee
for Political Affairs, Human Rights and Democracy will be discussed
at the Bureau's next meeting," Suleymanov said.
He said the first session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly should
"be assessed as a great political achievement and significant step
towards the integration of our country into Europe".