December 11, 2006 - 14:35 AMT
Terry Davis: NKR Referendum Cannot Be Recognized by International Community
This Sunday's vote organized by the 'de facto' authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh cannot have any legal validity, said Council of Europe President Terry Davis. "It will not be recognized by the international community and is therefore of no consequence. A lasting solution for Nagorno-Karabakh can only come out of the political process facilitated by the Minsk Group. Any future solution must respect human rights, and if it is submitted to popular consultation, the vote must be free and fair and open to everyone. The main responsibility for the settlement is with the political leadership of Armenia and Azerbaijan and especially President Kocharian and President Aliyev. This is one of the accession commitments of both Armenia and Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe," he said, reports the CoE press service.