MPs back from PA CE session

A group of Azeri MPs has returned from a PA CE session and conducted a news briefing Monday. They described as “successful” the steps they had taken, as for the first time in the history of Azerbaijan the issue of genocide of Azerbaijanis was officially distributed in the Parliamentary Assembly. It was signed by 29 representatives from 9 countries, including the chairman of the PA CE political committee.

The document, entitled “Recognition of the genocide of Azerbaijanis by Armenians”, has been signed by the PA CE secretary general and will be handed out to all 600 assembly members.

The Azeri delegation has also forwarded a report on 783 Azeri POWs and hostages, including 18 children and 56 old people, to the Assembly.

The MPs spoke highly of the work carried out by the head of the delegation Ilham Aliyev. A member of the group, a representative of the Civil Solidarity Party Rafael Husseinov emphasized the unity of the group, which included members of the PFPA, Yeni Azerbaijan and his party. He indicated that statements by Azeri parliamentarians had caused a stir not only among Armenian MPs, but also in Armenia proper. The importance of this event is particularly significant in light of Armenia’s endeavors to achieve the recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide of 1915, something it has failed to do.*