OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Severin visits Azerbaijan

BAKU, 24 October 2001 (OSCE) - On 21 - 24 October 2001, Adrian Severin, the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, paid an official visit to Azerbaijan to acquire a deeper insight into the present situation in the country and to have talks with Government Officials, Parliamentarians as well as civil society representatives. The President also had talks with the OSCE Office in Baku, and the Acting Head of the Office participated in all of the meetings of the OSCE PA President throughout the visit.

Mr. Severin, who represents more than 300 Members of Parliament from 55 OSCE participating States, met with President Aliyev, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as the Chairman of the Constitutional Court. The OSCE PA President also had meetings with parliamentarians including the First Deputy Speaker of the Milli Mejlis; the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Economic Policy; the Chairman of the Standing Commission of Foreign Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Relations; and the Chairman of the Standing Commission of Legal Policy and Institutional Building. President Severin also had talks with representatives of political opposition parties as well as a number of NGOs. The President noted that while the Government and the opposition are in agreement about security issues - mainly the territorial integrity of the country - they expressed different views with regard to the progress of the democratic process. The opposition stressed the need for overcoming the internal democratic deficit in the country.

The OSCE PA President paid a visit to two settlements for internally displaced persons. Mr. Severin stressed that a continuation of the current situation, with an increasing level of frustration among the refugees, could foster violent reactions and thereby lead to terrorism.

Throughout the meetings, President Severin stressed that the security and stability in Europe is closely linked to the security situation in the South Caucasus. He also highlighted that the strengthening of security and stability in the region of South Caucasus is of particular importance and urgent because of the global fight against terrorism. The OSCE PA President expressed how his visit to Azerbaijan is a proof that the global attention to terrorism does not mean that regional or local conflicts are neglected or forgotten.

President Severin also stated that democratic development is an essential element in finding a solution to the ongoing conflict in Azerbaijan and he expressed his support of the democratization work and the human dimension and economic development projects of the OSCE Office in Baku. The important role of parliamentarians in this context was stressed as well.

Furthermore, President Severin discussed ways in which the OSCE and in particular the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly could be more instrumental in providing support to democratic developments in Azerbaijan including the strengthening of the rule of law.

The OSCE PA President recognized that a new political impulse within the OSCE is needed, as well as new commitments of the international community in order to overcome the frozen crisis in South Caucasus - namely in Nagorno Karabakh - within the frame of the OSCE Documents.

After the end of the official visit to Azerbaijan, President Severin will continue his round trip in the South Caucasus by paying a visit to Georgia and Armenia.