Pashinyan: PACE resolutions paved the way for Azerbaijan's aggressionApril 11, 2019 - 16:03 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in his speech at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe that PACE platforms are sometimes used to incite war. Three years ago Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive across the entire line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh). The clashes which began in the wee hours of April 2 in 2016, lasted four days and were later dubbed the Four-Day War or the April War. “PACE discussions in January 2016 became a prelude to the four-day war in April and paved the way for Azerbaijan’s attacks,” Pashinyan said. “I do not want to confidently claim that [it was done] consciously, but the authors of those discussions became a tool for war that cost hundreds of lives for Armenia, Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and Azerbaijan.” The head of the Armenian government reminded that only the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group are mandated to mediate negotiations between the parties to the conflict. “This doesn’t mean the Council of Europe has nothing to do in the conflict zone,” Pashinyan said. “This organization pays zero attention to the support of NGOs in Nagorno Karabakh, does not take any steps to strengthen democratic institutions and support the civil society. “If Nagorno Karabakh is not internationally recognizes, does that call its people into question? Is a document, and not the person a priority for PACE, one of the world's leading human rights pioneers? I would like to call on all the organizations dealing with human rights, democratic institutions and freedom of speech, to help the Karabakh people improve their laws and institutions, to strengthen human rights." Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |