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PR Newswire
November 23, 2012 Friday 5:45 AM EST
Spain and Azerbaijan Committed to Building Trust and Increase
Cooperation While Raising Awareness About Frozen Conflict in
Nagorno-Karabakh
MADRID, November 23, 2012
The importance of building mutual trust between Spain and Azerbaijan
in the areas of peace and security, energy and trade was highlighted
at a conference entitled "Azerbaijan in Today's Europe" on Thursday in
Madrid, Spain. It was further announced that a new resolution on the
situation in Nagorno-Karabakh would be tabled soon in the Spanish
Senate to raise awareness of the long-lasting conflict.
The conference was the initiative of Elkhan Suleymanov, the Head of
the Azerbaijani delegation to EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly, who
brought a delegation comprising of seven MPs, three of them
representing the opposition in Azerbaijan.
Welcoming the Azerbaijani delegation, the President of the Commission
of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Senate, Alejandro
Munoz-Alonso, said that Azerbaijan was a vital part of the European
Union's Neighbourhood Policy and reiterated the EU's commitment to
deepen economic and political integration with Azerbaijan, while
anchoring the country further to EU values.
During a meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Garcia
Margallo and the Vice-President of the Spanish Senate, Juan Jose
Lucas, on the sidelines of the conference, Suleymanov extended an
invitation for them to visit Azerbaijan, stressing that "Azerbaijan
and Spain are both multicultural countries, which are situated in
regions of great geo-political significance."
The Azerbaijani MP further added that the level of relations could be
enhanced not only in trade and energy cooperation but also in other
areas, such as agriculture and tourism. Referring to Azerbaijan's long
parliamentary tradition - despite the rupture during the Soviet era -
Suleymanov said that both countries could benefit from one another's
experience in civil society development.
The conference, which was hosted by Spanish Senator Jose Maria
Chiquillo, brought together over 180 distinguished participants
including 80 senators and their deputies as well as prominent
academics, business people and NGO representatives.
In his keynote address, Suleymanov pointed out that the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict inflicted material damage in excess of 431
billion dollars on Azerbaijan and decried the fact that none of the
resolutions adopted by the United Nations, European Parliament,
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), OSCE and other
international organisations calling for the settlement of the conflict
within the principles of territorial integrity, have been fulfilled.
The conference witnessed a lively debate on legal considerations of UN
resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh, which were further discussed by
Senator Jose Maria Chiquillo and the Azerbaijani Vice-Prime Minister
and Chairman of the State Committee dealing with refugees and
internally displaced persons (IDP), Ali Hasanov.
"There are serious concerns in Azerbaijani society about the
indifference of the international community, especially the passive
attitude of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe," said
Suleymanov, arguing that discriminatory policies and double standards
were applied by PACE which, for instance, has remained silent about
the Armenian boycott of the Subcommittee on Nagorno-Karabakh since
2005. He also drew attention to the Monitoring Committee report of the
Council of Europe on Azerbaijan under preparation and said that the
rapporteur "should demand the restoration of rights of hundreds of
thousands of Azerbaijani IDPs for more than 20 years and the use of
sanctions against Armenia."
Mexican parliamentarian and Member of the Foreign Affairs Commission,
Jesus Ramirez Renge, explained that a resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh
was recently adopted in the Mexican parliament, condemning the
occupation of Azerbaijani territory by Armenia and the genocide
committed by Armenian armed forces in the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly.
It also called on Armenia to implement UN Security Council
resolutions, to withdraw Armenian troops from occupied territories and
to stop the violence against the civilian population in Azerbaijan,
while stressing the existence of a million refugees and internally
displaced persons in Azerbaijan.
From: A. Papazian
November 23, 2012 Friday 5:45 AM EST
Spain and Azerbaijan Committed to Building Trust and Increase
Cooperation While Raising Awareness About Frozen Conflict in
Nagorno-Karabakh
MADRID, November 23, 2012
The importance of building mutual trust between Spain and Azerbaijan
in the areas of peace and security, energy and trade was highlighted
at a conference entitled "Azerbaijan in Today's Europe" on Thursday in
Madrid, Spain. It was further announced that a new resolution on the
situation in Nagorno-Karabakh would be tabled soon in the Spanish
Senate to raise awareness of the long-lasting conflict.
The conference was the initiative of Elkhan Suleymanov, the Head of
the Azerbaijani delegation to EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly, who
brought a delegation comprising of seven MPs, three of them
representing the opposition in Azerbaijan.
Welcoming the Azerbaijani delegation, the President of the Commission
of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Senate, Alejandro
Munoz-Alonso, said that Azerbaijan was a vital part of the European
Union's Neighbourhood Policy and reiterated the EU's commitment to
deepen economic and political integration with Azerbaijan, while
anchoring the country further to EU values.
During a meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Garcia
Margallo and the Vice-President of the Spanish Senate, Juan Jose
Lucas, on the sidelines of the conference, Suleymanov extended an
invitation for them to visit Azerbaijan, stressing that "Azerbaijan
and Spain are both multicultural countries, which are situated in
regions of great geo-political significance."
The Azerbaijani MP further added that the level of relations could be
enhanced not only in trade and energy cooperation but also in other
areas, such as agriculture and tourism. Referring to Azerbaijan's long
parliamentary tradition - despite the rupture during the Soviet era -
Suleymanov said that both countries could benefit from one another's
experience in civil society development.
The conference, which was hosted by Spanish Senator Jose Maria
Chiquillo, brought together over 180 distinguished participants
including 80 senators and their deputies as well as prominent
academics, business people and NGO representatives.
In his keynote address, Suleymanov pointed out that the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict inflicted material damage in excess of 431
billion dollars on Azerbaijan and decried the fact that none of the
resolutions adopted by the United Nations, European Parliament,
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), OSCE and other
international organisations calling for the settlement of the conflict
within the principles of territorial integrity, have been fulfilled.
The conference witnessed a lively debate on legal considerations of UN
resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh, which were further discussed by
Senator Jose Maria Chiquillo and the Azerbaijani Vice-Prime Minister
and Chairman of the State Committee dealing with refugees and
internally displaced persons (IDP), Ali Hasanov.
"There are serious concerns in Azerbaijani society about the
indifference of the international community, especially the passive
attitude of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe," said
Suleymanov, arguing that discriminatory policies and double standards
were applied by PACE which, for instance, has remained silent about
the Armenian boycott of the Subcommittee on Nagorno-Karabakh since
2005. He also drew attention to the Monitoring Committee report of the
Council of Europe on Azerbaijan under preparation and said that the
rapporteur "should demand the restoration of rights of hundreds of
thousands of Azerbaijani IDPs for more than 20 years and the use of
sanctions against Armenia."
Mexican parliamentarian and Member of the Foreign Affairs Commission,
Jesus Ramirez Renge, explained that a resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh
was recently adopted in the Mexican parliament, condemning the
occupation of Azerbaijani territory by Armenia and the genocide
committed by Armenian armed forces in the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly.
It also called on Armenia to implement UN Security Council
resolutions, to withdraw Armenian troops from occupied territories and
to stop the violence against the civilian population in Azerbaijan,
while stressing the existence of a million refugees and internally
displaced persons in Azerbaijan.
From: A. Papazian