Armenian delegation attempts to disrupt NATO PA Rose-Roth Seminar in Baku
Baku, June 17 (AZERTAC). An Armenian delegation has attempted to disrupt the 86th Rose-Roth seminar of the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO in Baku.
Head of the Armenian delegation to NATO PA Koryun Nahapetyan first protested against the speech of Dennis Sammut, Director of LINKS (Dialogue-Analysis-Research), Co-ordinator of the Oxford Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies Forum at Oxford University, who hailed recent economic development processes in Azerbaijan and said the country`s territorial integrity was violated. “Territorial integrity must be taken as a main principle in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity was violated and it must be restored,” said Mr. Sammut sparking protest of Mr. Nahapetyan, who, however, failed to substantiate his arguments.
After being allowed to speak by first Deputy Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, head of the Azerbaijani delegation to NATO PA Ziyafat Asgarov, who chaired the event, Mr. Nahapetyan started to comment on remarks by Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Ogtay Asadov instead of explaining why he disagreed with Mr. Sammut.
He called Mr. Asadov`s words “aggression” as the Parliament Speaker urged official Yerevan to end the occupation of Azerbaijan`s lands and let over million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs return to their homelands.
Mr. Nahapetyan insisted that unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was involved in the negotiations to find a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict along with Armenia and Azerbaijan.
He tried to blow up the issue of the fate of the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh and downplay the issue of the occupied Azerbaijani lands.
Deputy Executive Secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP), MP Siyavush Novruzov took a floor to say that “it is an undeniable fact that Azerbaijani lands have been under the Armenian occupation”. He said Karabakh was an ancient and integral part of Azerbaijan.
“If we are talking about determining the fate of the Armenians, the Armenian people have already determined their fate and created the state of Armenia,” said Mr. Novruzov.
“It is an absurd idea to attempt to establish the second state on the Azerbaijani soil only because a number of the Armenians live there. The Armenians live in several places across the world. In California, for example, they are much bigger in number than in Nagorno-Karabakh. So does it mean that determining the fate of the Armenians must be used as a pretext for the creation of a new Armenian state there? The Armenians compactly live in over 30 countries around the world. So does it mean there will should more than 30 Armenian states?” noted Mr. Novruzov.
Mr. Sammut then took the floor again to reiterate his position. He said the Karabakh conflict was a dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan only.
Member of the Azerbaijani delegation to NATO PA, MP Zahid Oruj said: “If Armenia wants to determine the fate of the Armenians, it should stay away and let Azerbaijan settle the problem with its citizens in Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Member of the Turkish delegation to NATO PA Ahmet Berat Conkar condemned Armenia`s occupation of Azerbaijan`s lands, saying “official Yerevan threw itself into isolation by its moves”.
He touched upon the Turkey-Armenia border issue, saying “our position remains unchanged - we will open the borders if Armenia withdraws from the occupied Azerbaijani lands”.
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