The goal of the Council of Europe is to build a Europe based on the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We are convinced that it is through the promotion of these values that the Council of Europe (CoE) and the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) will be able to make their unique contribution to the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement process.
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR; Artsakh) Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Armine Aleksanyan, stated the above-said speaking to RFE/RL Armenian Service.
She noted this in response to the question on how the Council of Europe and the PACE can contribute to the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, and added: “It is no coincidence that in parallel with the increased repressions against journalists and human rights activists, as well as limiting the fundamental freedoms in Azerbaijan, official Baku's stance in the negotiation process becomes more and more uncompromising, its rhetoric more aggressive and the extent and nature of the ceasefire violations by the Azerbaijani party more menacing.
“In the existing situation, the inactive stance of the PACE in view of Azerbaijan's rejection of the democratic values is confusing. It is not surprising that Azerbaijan develops a false sense of permissiveness, which was reflected in the statement of the head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the PACE that ‘the Council of Europe belongs to Azerbaijan.’
“It is noteworthy that this phrase was voiced after Robert Walter rejected the adoption of MP Mr. Strasser's report on political prisoners in Azerbaijan at the PACE winter session in 2013, arguing that the Rapporteur had not been able to visit Azerbaijan.”
And commenting on PACE President Anne Brasseur recent statement that the rights of the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh must be protected, as they are also members of the Council of Europe, the NKR deputy FM noted: “We share the positions of both Ms. Brasseur and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland that all the citizens of the European space, regardless of where they live, should enjoy the Council of Europe’s standards.
“For their part, the NKR takes consistent steps in this direction and has already unilaterally acceded to a number of conventions of the Council of Europe, including the European Cultural Convention, the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Convention on the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe and the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage.”
