 | President urges osce to take resolute steps |
OSCE chairman visits Baku
Receiving the OSCE delegation led by its chairman-in-office M. Joanne, President Aliyev urged the international brokers to take resolute steps toward Garabagh settlement amid growing public discontent.
The OSCE delegation traveled to Azerbaijan last week ahead of President’s Paris talks with Armenian counterpart R. Kocharian.
"The patience of the Azerbaijan people is about to be exhausted, therefore I am asking you, the OSCE leaders, to take new resolute steps", the President said.
Although Azerbaijan adheres to a peace settlement, the general public gives preference to a military way of resolution, which can be understood, H. Aliyev added.
"However, as a head of state, I emphasize that there are still a lot of unexplored avenues for a peace settlement, especially through the Minsk Group and its co-chairs", H. Aliyev announced.
Mr. Joanne assured H. Aliyev that he would try to mobilize every OSCE effort to restore Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and return its refugees to their native homes. Mr. Joanne handed to President Aliyev the invitation of his President Ion Iliescu to pay an official visit to Romania.
Then, President Aliyev received the entire OSCE delegation.
In his remars, he said that despite the 7-year cooperation with the OSCE, peace has not been achieved yet, occupied lands not liberated, while the people ousted from their homes are having to live in deplorable conditions in tent-camps. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Russia, USA and France, despite their tremendous influence, have failed to achieve the desired peace.
He then spoke of the direct talks between Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, said he was sure they must be continued, which, however, should not lead to the weakening of MG co-chairs' involvement.
Mr. Joanne said the OSCE and its Minsk Group would continue working. He added that to achieve lasting solution to the problem, the parties have to be prepared for serious compromise and display determination to implement them.
Meeting at Foreign Office
Prior to the meeting with Aliyev, the OSCE chairman-in-office, Romanian foreign minister Mircea Joanne met with foreign minister Vilayat Guliyev.
Min. Guliyev described the visit by the new OSCE chairman to the region as a very significant event and thanked him for resolutely attending to the Garabagh problem.
Mr. Joanne said he had enthusiastically tackled the work because OSCE is interested in restoring peace in the region, which represents tremendous geo-strategic importance for Europe. The OSCE official explained his early visit to the region by the positive tendencies shaping in the Caucasus of late. Mr. Joanne said his delegation also includes OSCE envoys of Austria and Portugal, representatives of various institutions of the Organization, as well as the UNHCR.
Saying that particular attention would be paid to regional security, Mr. Joanne said the OSCE and UN intend to hold an international conference in June on control over conventional arms.
Compromises encouraged
On March 2, Mr. Joanne held a meeting with leaders of 10 opposition parties: both wings of the PFPA, ALP, ADP, PNIA, Civil Solidarity, ASDP, Adalat, Yurddash, and Communists. Despite being invited, chairman of Musavat Isa Gambar did not show up. Later on, he explained to journalists that he does not consider such meetings effective. According to him, positions of most of political forces over the Garabagh issue largely overlap. Mr. Joanne reiterated that the parties must go for compromise and assured the Azerbaijan party that Armenia is prepared for certain concessions too.
Opposition leaders were not particularly happy with the OSCE chairman’s raising such insignificant issues as abduction of people in Azerbaijan and regarded this as an attempt to dstract public attention from the key topic on the agenda.
On the same day, Mr. Joanne visited with refugees settled in an incompletely built structure of the Sattarkhan plant. He witnessed the deprivation and suffering of the refugees and pledged to do his best to return the displaced persons to their homes.
Send it to friend
© 1998-2003 Azernews. All Rights Reserved.
Issue No.10(192), 2001
No truce achieved in Paris talksPresident urges osce to take resolute stepsAzeri, Ukrainian parliaments sign for co-opPro-musavat demcongress hails Paris talksNew WB initiative launchedSheik congratulates muslims on Gurban BayramiNews digestNationParliament newsOpposition newsEcologyNews in briefBusinessOil & gas news
Contact: Fazil F. Abbasov
Address: 370002, Baku, 85 S. Asgarova, 3-rd floor
Tel: (99412) 949 373, 946 542, 956 905
Fax: (99412) 958 537, 989 240
Email: azernews@azeurotel.com
