President Ilham Aliyev Receives OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President in Baku
Baku, The Gulf Observer: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Pere Joan Pons Sampietro in Baku on September 3, media reported.
During the meeting, Pons Sampietro congratulated President Aliyev on what he described as progress on the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia, noting that one of the existing conflicts in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) area had been resolved and lasting peace secured in the region.
President Aliyev expressed his appreciation for the congratulations but criticized the record of the OSCE Minsk Group, which had been tasked with facilitating a settlement of the conflict for nearly three decades.
He said the Minsk Group had failed to produce results in the negotiation process, while United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from Azerbaijani territories had not been implemented.
Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan itself had brought the conflict to an end through military and political means, restoring the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The two sides also expressed satisfaction with Azerbaijan’s contacts and political dialogue with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, emphasizing that these relations differed from those maintained with certain other European parliamentary institutions.
The meeting stressed the importance of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopting a balanced approach toward the entire OSCE area in determining its agenda.
The sides also discussed the importance of intercultural dialogue and commended Azerbaijan’s role and contributions to promoting the process.
Pons Sampietro highlighted the significance of the 4th International Mine Action Conference held in Baku under the theme “Humanitarian Demining for Urban Recovery: Setting Standards of Excellence for Safe Settlements.”
He noted that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly had also addressed the issue of landmines as part of its agenda.
