Armenia not to disclose Azeri MPs having apologized for Aliyev’s conduct

PanARMENIAN.Net - Vahan Hovhannisyan, head of the Armenian delegation to Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, commented on his Azerbaijani counterpart Elkhan Suleymanov’s addressing the leadership of the forum. Suleymanov claims about the allegedly biased views about Euronest PA session in Baku voiced by Armenian delegation members. His discontent was sparked by the words, according to which Azeri MPs apologized to Armenian counterparts for their president Ilham Aliyev’s statement.

“As a private individual I made the statement. However, I will never disclose the names of those parliamentarians having addressed us. I won’t even announce the names of European MPs who stated the same thing, as it was a private conversation,” Mr. Hovhannisyan told PanARMENIAN.Net

“I have the right to say that we had a private conversation, however, I don’t have the right to say with whom. I won’t move beyond ethics, as I’m not like their president,” head of the Armenian delegation said.

Dwelling on the outcomes of addresses by the Azeri side, Mr. Hovhannisyan said, “that doesn’t interest me. What can they do? Warn us? Let them try.”

On April 3, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev called Armenians “fascists” during a plenary sitting of Euronest Parliamentary Assembly in Baku. The statement sparked resentment of the Armenian delegation which dubbed it improper and beyond diplomatic norms. Representative of Euronest delegation and other countries also expressed discontent with Aliyev’s conduct.

Euronest inter-parliamentary union includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.