Both Turkey and Armenia should be applauded for the enormous political will on both sides to normalize relations, a top Swiss diplomat has said, stressing that the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is actively working on resolving the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Micheline Calmy-Rey, the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, who mediated talks between Turkey and Armenia leading to the signing of the normalization protocols last year, told deputies in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) that “any developments between Turkey and Armenia should be viewed in the context of attempts to normalize relations between the two countries, both of which had shown enormous political will in recent years.”
Switzerland holds the chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, and Swiss Foreign Minister Calmy-Rey, as chairwoman, was asked questions by both Azerbaijani and Armenian deputies on Monday. Calmy-Rey said, “The peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute is being actively pursued by the Minsk Group,” adding that “it is important to encourage meetings that would build confidence between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”
Ganira Pashayeva, deputy from Azerbaijan, pressed Calmy-Rey by asking what she intends to do about the situation of those people who have been internally displaced due to the illegal Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territory. “As you know, for more than 15 years, about 1 million Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons have been unable to return to their homes because 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory is still under Armenian occupation. These Azerbaijani refugees and displaced persons want and need your support. What are you planning to do to help them?” she asked.
In response, Calmy-Rey said the solution to the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh would depend on the outcome of the discussions held by the Minsk Group. Another Azerbaijani deputy, Gultakin Hajibayli, asked why the Council of Europe has not been effective in implementing PACE Resolution 1416, which repeated the call of the full resolution of the United Nations Security Council for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian military forces from occupied Azerbaijani territory. The Swiss foreign minister simply referred the case to the Minsk Group.
Calmy-Rey also dodged the question raised by Armenian deputy Naira Zohrabyan about the remarks made by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in which he threatened to expel illegal Armenian workers residing in Turkey.
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