Domestic

Domestic

Azeri MP urges Council of Europe to apply sanctions against Armenia

28 June 2007 11:53 (UTC +04:00)

Rapporteur, Greek parliamentarian Nikolaus Dendias said though 12 years have passed since the wars in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia and 8 years since Kosovo conflict there still are 1.5 million refugees in the Balkans. The rapporteur called on the governments in the region to give financial aid and create necessary atmosphere to ensure returning of the IDPs.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees AntÃ³nio Guterresas a special guest made speech on the theme.
Member of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE Rafael Huseynov addressing the debate said that Azerbaijan is the country which is suffering from problems of refugees and IDPs most of all.
â€œThe problem already requires taking concrete steps. Armenia is here in the Council of Europe, before you. Your request is in vain, Armenia will neither refrain from occupying, nor terrorism in state level and ensure bringing back IDPs to their original places. Sanctions, punishments should be imposed. Armenia, which acts contrary to the principles of Council of Europe (CE), demonstratively violates regulations, is indifferent to international rules, can be reformed only by leaving it in economic and political isolation. This is the key of solution of the similar problems. Refugee problem can be solved in this way which can serve as example to the countries causing the analogous situation in other regions,â€ he said.
Azerbaijani delegation member Ganira Pashayeva addressing the session stated that Azerbaijanis comprised more than 30% of Armenian population 70 years ago and they were the biggest national minority.
â€œThe discrimination policy led by Armenian leadership and carried out on the initiative of several USSR heads, particularly Stalin led to a tragedy. Half million of Azerbaijanis were driven away from Armenia in 1948, 200 thousand Azerbaijanis in 1988, and no single Azerbaijani are living in Armenia at present,â€ she underlined.
Another member of Azerbaijani delegation Gultakin Hajiyeva stated that the great kindness shown to refugees and IDPs is to create condition for them for bringing back to their native places in security condition, voluntarily. /APA/