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Azerbaijan issues statement at PACE Standing Committee meeting

23 May 2014 11:42 (UTC +04:00)

The statement issued by head of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, MP Samad Seyidov covered questions about facts and urgent suggestions to the PACE leadership: “Why is Azerbaijan called on to demonstrate responsibility, while we – the PACE members are speaking about our commitments to human rights, the rule of law and other issues? However, we repeatedly face resolutions, when we ask to take into consideration our fundamental values, especially the territorial integrity. We do not see any result. When we became the member of PACE, our main goal was to ensure the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Today we witness that, territories of the PACE member states are being occupied and they see no support. Penalties are applied for visits to the occupied territories of Georgia and Azerbaijan. I am sure that, this penalty will be applied against Ukraine tomorrow. Its Crimean peninsula was also occupied, some people will pay illegal visits there as well.”

Seyidov noted that according to the Paragraph #503 of the Behavior Codes adopted by the PACE, the members of the structure should pay attention to their behaviors: “We understand that it is not good to prevent the PACE Deputy Chairman from visiting any country. But why the Deputy Chairman of the PACE doesn’t respect the Assembly’s reputation and illegally visits occupied territories? He is interested in the reputation of the Armenian lobby not in the reputation of the PACE. We should urgently create a sub-committee at PACE regarding the occupied territories. Terrorism and separatism are already on the threshold of our homes. We must open our eyes and see the reality The Council of Europe gradually loses its influence. The principle of territorial integrity should be essential for existence of the Council of Europe. Otherwise, the Council of Europe may disappear on the political scene of Europe. The rules of inviolability should be urgently changed, because the security situation is very serious”, he said.