Domestic

Domestic

PACE President meets opposition leaders

09 July 2007 13:20 (UTC +04:00)

Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President RenÃ© van der Linden met with leaders of Azerbaijani opposition, Azerbaijan Popular Front Party told the APA.
Chairman of Azerbaijan Popular Front Party Ali Karimli, leader of National Unity Movement Lala Shovkat and Musavat leader Isa Gambar participated in the meeting.
They mainly debated on Azerbaijanâ€™s implementing the commitments undertaken vis-Ã -vis the Council of Europe.
The leaders of opposition parties said that commitments are not fully implemented, freedom of assembly is limited and there is pressure on freedom of speech and media.
PACE President said he supports democratic processes.
RenÃ© van der Linden met with chairman of the Party of Democratic Reforms Asim Mollazade. They discussed implementation of PACE resolutions on Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, election reforms in Azerbaijan, state of media and PACE-GUAM cooperation.
Mollazade highly appreciated PACEâ€™s position regarding the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh region.
He underlined that necessity of adopting defamation law in Azerbaijan, reforms in election legislation and taking the election commissions out of the monopoly of one party. /APA/