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PACE President asks releasing imprisoned Azerbaijani journalists

09 July 2007 17:08 (UTC +04:00)

â€œMy visit demonstrates that Council of Europe attaches great importance to the region,â€ he said.
Supporting peaceful solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict RenÃ© van der Linden said PACE can not force the parties to anything.
â€œI am concerned about the opinions about other ways of solution to the conflict. I call for the parties to solve the conflict peacefully. The troops should be immediately pulled out from the occupied territories, that is PACEâ€™s position. International community should increase pressure, and the Presidents of the two countries should make more efforts for the solution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict,â€ he said.
Admiring the economic growth in Azerbaijan PACE President called for the Council of Europe member states to keep up its values.
â€œThough there are improvements in this field, there also are problems. 2008 presidential elections will serve as test for the country. Azerbaijani government and the Venice Commission are negotiating on relevant recommendations. That is good. The judicial system need reforms, and media freedom should be fully ensured. The oppositionâ€™s right to media freedom should be ensured. I hope the media will take an unbiased position during the elections,â€ PACE President said.
Stressing the importance of eliminating political prisoner problem in a Council of Europe member state, Mr.van der Linden said he asked for release of seven imprisoned journalists during his meetings in Baku.
Replying to journalistsâ€™ questions PACE President said Armenia lags behind on development, the borders of the two countries are closed.
â€œThe pat should not put obstacle to the future. In this context, I welcome the mutual visits by Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectuals,â€ he concluded. /APA/