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PACE President urged to respect the territorial integrity of the members of the Council of Europe
At the beginning of this month, violence sparked again in
conflict over the Nagorno-Karabkh region, causing a high number of casualties, including civilians along and around the contact line. I deplore this loss of life and the violence.
Thanks to the clear and unequivocal calls to stop violence by the international community, a fragile cease-fire has been put in place once again. I reiterate my strong belief that both sides have to de-escalate, end the violence and respect the ceasefire.
I have always expressed full support for the territorial integrity of all 47 member states and called for international law to be respected. International law provides a legal framework for the peaceful settlement of disputes. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have to live up to the commitments they have entered into upon accession to the Council of Europe and find the political will to resolve, in a peaceful manner, the conflict that divides them.
Although the Council of Europe has no direct mandate in the settlement of the conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, I believe that parliamentary diplomacy may help bring positions closer. As elected representatives, we cannot afford not to talk to each other. We must build bridges and help restore confidence and trust, which is essential for any meaningful discussion about the settlement of conflicts. I shall continue to keep this issue high on my agenda.
At the same time, I have to stress that, as Parliamentarians, we have to set an example for our citizens and refrain – in our discussions – from inflammatory rhetoric. We must show respect, utmost caution and restraint in our statements, and, avoid personal attacks. Our Assembly is the House of Democracy and we must live up to this high standard and expectations of our citizens.-16D-
Politics
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Armenia is not against the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, but does not consider it appropriate to discuss this issue now. "In the context of peace, we consider it possible to make a decision on the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group. When peace is an established fact, the existence of such a format may raise questions," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a press conference today. "The whole question is about the timing, we need to understand how effectively and correctly to turn such topics into a subject of discussion right now," the Armenian Prime Minister added.
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He expressed his willingness to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the border between the two countries. "A meeting with Ilham Aliyev could take place at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. I am open to such a format," Pashinyan said at a press conference today. According to Pashinyan, Armenia recently presented another proposal for a peace treaty to Azerbaijan.
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On August 31, Azerbaijan observes a "day of silence" before the Sunday’s early parliamentary elections for the unicameral Milli Majlis. All electoral campaigning is prohibited 24 hours before the voting. The early elections were initiated by the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party. This decision was motivated by the overlap of the scheduled elections in November with the global UN forum - the COP20 climate conference taking place in Baku.
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On August 30, at approximately 22:55, the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant in Metsamor was disconnected from the country's power grid, as reported by the Armenian Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure. The shutdown was caused by a lightning strike, which triggered the plant's safety systems to switch the station to a safe shutdown mode. Currently, the plant's staff is working on restarting the facility.
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