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Gudrat Hasanguliyev brings problems of Iranian Azerbaijanis to the agenda of NATO Parliamentary Assembly Political Committee

26 May 2008 10:26 (UTC +04:00)

The discussions also focused on the problems of the Azerbaijanis living in Iran, member of Azerbaijani delegation to NATO PA, MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev told APA. He said that the report on Iran prepared in the committee did not cover the problems of the Azerbaijanis.
â€œI told the American rapporteur that West, as well as the US, NATO does not pay necessary attention to the democratic processes in Iran. I noted that pver 30 million Azerbaijanis living in Iran had been deprived of their elementary rights, their national-cultural autonomy should at least be ensured,â€ he said.
Gudrat Hasanguliyev also said during the discussions that Iran posed threat to Azerbaijan and along with Russia Iran had a role in the violation of Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity. He said that debates on the theme â€œReligion and state in the Black sea regionâ€ were held in the NATO PA Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security on May 25, head of Azerbaijani delegation Ziyafat Asgarov made speech at the debates. Ziyafat Asgarov did not agree to the rapporteurâ€™s statement that repressive methods were used against radical religious groupings in Azerbaijan. He underlined that tolerance existed in Azerbaijan and noted that over 30 non-Islamic religious organizations had been registered in country. After this remark the rapporteur admitted that religious tolerance existed in Azerbaijan. Gudrat Hasanguliyev said one of the Armenians parliamentarians claimed that there was religious intolerance against Armenian church in Azerbaijan.
â€œI told the participants that the claims of Armenian delegates were not true. There is an Armenian church in the center of Baku and there is a library there. Even the Armenian intellectuals coming to Baku visited itâ€, he said.
Plenary session of NATO PA will be held on May 27. President of NATO P and NATO Secretary General will address the meeting. Members of NATO PA Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security will visit Azerbaijan in September.