Azernews.Az

By Laman Sadigova

Robert Walter, the rapporteur for the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of PACE, in his statement on the “Escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan” said that the Armenian side impedes report preparations, thus becoming impossible to deliver it at the meeting on September 1.

“Despite numerous attempts by PACE, Armenia avoids cooperation with the rapporteur, refuses to organize his visit to the contact line, and complicates the preparation of the report,” he said.

Walter also said that the Azerbaijani side, on the contrary, is ready to cooperate with the Committee. Earlier in March, he visited Azerbaijan and held several meetings in Baku that showed Azerbaijan’s willingness to cooperate in every way.

He also asked the Azerbaijani government to visit the contact line from Azerbaijani territory due to the unwillingness of the Armenian side to cooperate.

Walter says that he is determined to prepare the report despite Armenia’s refusal to cooperate.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 the Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the US – are currently conducting peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

---

Follow Laman Sadigova on Twitter: @s_laman93

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz