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YEVGENIYA JIVKOVA: IT WOULD BE TOO AMBITIOUS OF ME TO SAY THAT I KNOW ENOUGH WITH REGARD TO THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT, BUT I KNOW THAT CONSIDERABLE PARTS OF AZERBAIJAN ARE STILL OCCUPIED
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 12 2007
PACE Monitoring Committee co-rapporteur on Azerbaijan, Bulgarian
parliamentarian Yevgeniya Jivkova's interview to the APA
-Are you informed about Azerbaijan and main problem of the country -
Nagorno Karabakh conflict?
- Again, it would be too ambitious of me to say that I know enough
with regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict but I do take into
account that the respective Council of Europe Resolution holds that
considerable parts of Azerbaijan are still occupied. This conflict
is at the origin of more than four thousand missing persons and some
760 000 displaced persons from the Azerbaijani side. I intend also to
study further the records of the OSCE in Vienna, where the two sides
present their points of view regularly. I believe in the continuation
of the high level dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia and share
the CE Parliamentary Assembly's view that the Azerbaijani authorities
could prepare the population to accept the measures currently being
negotiated and could encourage further contacts between Azerbaijani
and Armenian civil society groups.
-Are you acquainted with obligations and commitments of Azerbaijan
vis-a-vis CE?
-As to the situation with honouring by Azerbaijan of obligations and
commitments, I would like, at this juncture, to merely say that the
picture is one of mixed results. The Assembly is definitely cognizant
of the efforts made by your country in a number of areas, such as
the revision of the Election Code or the recently adopted National
Action Plan for the Protection of Human Rights. On the other hand,
the Assembly is concerned, for example, with the need to establish a
dialogue between the ruling majority and the opposition both inside
and outside the parliament. Let me be more specific when I ascertain
the facts first hand.
-Do you contact with the other co-rapporteur-Andres Herkel? Do you
share your opinions on the necessity of his appointment of special
rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan?
-As I said in my speech when accepting the honour of being a
Rapporteur on Azerbaijan on behalf of the Socialist Group, I intend
to work closely with the Co-rapporteur, Mr. Andres Herkel, Estonia,
from the Group of the European People's Party. He has the privilege
of having already served in this elected position and his experience
is appreciated by the Monitoring Committee. On the specific point of
appointing a special rapporteur on political prisoners, I should like
to consult with Mr. Herkel further, and indeed, with other members of
the Monitoring Committee, before I form a final opinion. This issue
is too delicate to address it with haste.
-How do you assess media situation in Azerbaijan?
- Let me say that the concerns of the CE Parliamentary Assembly
relating to media pluralism and freedom of expression are too well
known and recorded in the reports of the Monitoring Committee to
neglect the problem. Of course, it is not for me to decide which
side is right or wrong in a dispute on freedom of the media. I will
keep a close eye on developments in this area in particular. Free and
responsible media are one of the corner stones of European democracy.
-Will Azerbaijan's issue be debated in PACE January session?
-This is decided by the Bureau of the Assembly. I have not been
informed about such a possibility.
-How do you assess level of relations between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria
as parliamentarian of Bulgarian Parliament? What do you expect from
Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev's visit to Baku?
- The co-operation between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan develops on the
basis of traditionally good relations and the absence of political
or other problems. We share the same foreign policy priorities. The
political and economic stability of our two countries offers prospects
for further development of the bilateral co-operation. What has been
achieved in the past few years in the areas of high level political
contacts, trade, educational and NGO exchange, etc., is a good start
but it does not correspond to the existing potential both in terms of
bilateral ties and European integration context. Bulgaria can offer
its experience under the programmes of the European Neighborhood
Policy.
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 12 2007
PACE Monitoring Committee co-rapporteur on Azerbaijan, Bulgarian
parliamentarian Yevgeniya Jivkova's interview to the APA
-Are you informed about Azerbaijan and main problem of the country -
Nagorno Karabakh conflict?
- Again, it would be too ambitious of me to say that I know enough
with regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict but I do take into
account that the respective Council of Europe Resolution holds that
considerable parts of Azerbaijan are still occupied. This conflict
is at the origin of more than four thousand missing persons and some
760 000 displaced persons from the Azerbaijani side. I intend also to
study further the records of the OSCE in Vienna, where the two sides
present their points of view regularly. I believe in the continuation
of the high level dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia and share
the CE Parliamentary Assembly's view that the Azerbaijani authorities
could prepare the population to accept the measures currently being
negotiated and could encourage further contacts between Azerbaijani
and Armenian civil society groups.
-Are you acquainted with obligations and commitments of Azerbaijan
vis-a-vis CE?
-As to the situation with honouring by Azerbaijan of obligations and
commitments, I would like, at this juncture, to merely say that the
picture is one of mixed results. The Assembly is definitely cognizant
of the efforts made by your country in a number of areas, such as
the revision of the Election Code or the recently adopted National
Action Plan for the Protection of Human Rights. On the other hand,
the Assembly is concerned, for example, with the need to establish a
dialogue between the ruling majority and the opposition both inside
and outside the parliament. Let me be more specific when I ascertain
the facts first hand.
-Do you contact with the other co-rapporteur-Andres Herkel? Do you
share your opinions on the necessity of his appointment of special
rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan?
-As I said in my speech when accepting the honour of being a
Rapporteur on Azerbaijan on behalf of the Socialist Group, I intend
to work closely with the Co-rapporteur, Mr. Andres Herkel, Estonia,
from the Group of the European People's Party. He has the privilege
of having already served in this elected position and his experience
is appreciated by the Monitoring Committee. On the specific point of
appointing a special rapporteur on political prisoners, I should like
to consult with Mr. Herkel further, and indeed, with other members of
the Monitoring Committee, before I form a final opinion. This issue
is too delicate to address it with haste.
-How do you assess media situation in Azerbaijan?
- Let me say that the concerns of the CE Parliamentary Assembly
relating to media pluralism and freedom of expression are too well
known and recorded in the reports of the Monitoring Committee to
neglect the problem. Of course, it is not for me to decide which
side is right or wrong in a dispute on freedom of the media. I will
keep a close eye on developments in this area in particular. Free and
responsible media are one of the corner stones of European democracy.
-Will Azerbaijan's issue be debated in PACE January session?
-This is decided by the Bureau of the Assembly. I have not been
informed about such a possibility.
-How do you assess level of relations between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria
as parliamentarian of Bulgarian Parliament? What do you expect from
Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev's visit to Baku?
- The co-operation between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan develops on the
basis of traditionally good relations and the absence of political
or other problems. We share the same foreign policy priorities. The
political and economic stability of our two countries offers prospects
for further development of the bilateral co-operation. What has been
achieved in the past few years in the areas of high level political
contacts, trade, educational and NGO exchange, etc., is a good start
but it does not correspond to the existing potential both in terms of
bilateral ties and European integration context. Bulgaria can offer
its experience under the programmes of the European Neighborhood
Policy.