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PACE REPORT MADE PUBLIC

Politics

A report of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) made public today spells out a series of steps Armenia and Azerbaijan could take to fulfill their commitment to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peacefully.

In a draft resolution adopted at a meeting in Paris on Wednesday, PACE's Political Affairs Committee expressed concern at the creation of "mono-ethnic areas which resemble the terrible concept of ethnic cleansing", and reaffirmed the right of displaced persons from the area of conflict to return to their homes safely and with dignity.

The committee called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to submit constructive proposals for the peaceful settlement of the conflict via the OSCE Minsk Group, which should conduct speedy negotiations. If these fail, the parties should consider using the UN's International Court of Justice, the parliamentarians said.

Meanwhile, the Council of Europe should offer experts to help Armenia and Azerbaijan draw up a political status for Nagorno-Karabakh. Both countries pledged to use only peaceful means to settle the conflict when they joined the organisation in January 2001.

The committee also condemned any expression of hatred portrayed in the media of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and called for a Council of Europe action plan for mutual reconciliation involving the media, schools and universities as well as contacts between locally elected representatives.

It is proposed that the report be debated by the Assembly at its next plenary session in Strasbourg (24-28 January 2005).