Azay Guliyev: OSCE PA Bureau condemns illegal visit of Nagorno-Karabakh separatists to US and France

Baku, April 17, AZERTAC OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Vice-President Azay Guliyev strongly condemned the illegal visit of the representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh separatists to US and France at the Bureau Meeting of the organization in Copenhagen. “According to the confirmed information, the representatives of the illegal regime created in Azerbaijan’s occupied lands, in Nagorno-Karabakh, have recently paid illegal visits to the US and France. The separatists have held meetings in the US Congress, French Senate and the National Assembly,” said Guliyev. He emphasized that, the separatists held meetings in the US Congress, French Senate and the National Assembly. The fact that such visits by illegal regime representatives are gaining a systematic nature is contrary to the development of Azerbaijan’s friendly relations and cooperation with the US and France and most importantly, this is incompatible with the mandate of these countries as OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Guliyev added. Organization of such visits hinders the negotiations on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and propagandizes separatism and occupation, Azay Guliyev told. Azay Guliyev told that regardless of where they are, separatists should face the similar attitude in accordance with the basic principles of the international law and the rule of law. “In this regard, any manifestation of double standards is unacceptable. The relevant authorities of France and the US should stop the process of issuing visas to illegal regime agents and the process of organizing their visits to these countries,” he said. Azay Guliyev called on French and US governments to take relevant measures taking into account their role as the mediators and co-chairs in the OSCE Minsk Group which is of great importance in the negotiation process and in the settlement of the conflict.