EN
24 June 2002 - 15:14 AMT

PACE SUMMER SESSION OPENED IN STRASBOURG, WHERE DISCUSSION OF RAPPORTEUR ON NAGORNO KARABAKH IS POSSIBLE

Today in Strasbourg the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe opened, where discussion of appointment of the rapporteur on Nagorno Karabakh is possible. Last weekend the Armenian delegation left for Strasbourg to participate in the forum, which will be held June 24-28. In the course of the session the report of Rut-Gabi Vermot-Mangold Swiss deputy entitled “The conditions of the refugees and forcedly deported persons in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia” will be delivered. It proposes recommendations to the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers to improve the situation. As reported earlier by PACE Armenian delegation head, chairman of the commission on foreign affairs of the Armenian parliament Hovhannes Hovhannisian, the report contains a harsh criticism of the Azerbaijani authorities. The fact that Azerbaijan constantly takes advantage of the question of the refugees makes the authors of the report displeased. The report, in particular, notes that there are not 1 million refugees in Azerbaijan, as presented by official Baku, but only 500 thousand.