OSCE PA never discussed Turkey's co-chairmanship issue

PanARMENIAN.Net - OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has never discussed Turkey's co-chairmanship issue, MP Aram Safaryan, Head of Armenian delegation in OSCE PA, told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, commenting upon statement made by Head of Turkish delegation to the OSCE PA Alaattin Buyukkaya.



"Since 1993, Turkey has been seeking to strengthen its efforts in OSCE MG. Armenian authorities announced several times that only neutral countries can act as intermediaries in the process. Ankara has never held a neutral stance. On the contrary, it continues imposing embargos on Armenia, hampering its development," he said.



In a recent interview to Day.az, Head of Turkish Delegation to OSCE PA Alaattin Buyukkayaa said mediators saw no obstacles in Turkey's becoming a co-chairing state. "If OSCE starts discussions over the issues, Armenia will have no objection to Turkey's membership," Turkish official said, adding that Armenia allegedly gave non-official consent to liberating territories of Karabakh.



Safaryan denied existence of such issues in negotiation agenda. "Parties, as we know, are currently conducting talks over Nagorno Karabakh status. And Armenia has many a time insisted on admissibility of any status inferior to the existing one. There's no alternative here," Head of Armenian delegation said, characterizing such statements as Turkish side's attempts to exert psychological pressure on Armenia.



In addition, Armenian MP said that OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is "positively disposed to the issue."