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BAKU: Azeri, Armenian Russia Envoys Visit Garabagh

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  • BAKU: Azeri, Armenian Russia Envoys Visit Garabagh

    AZERI, ARMENIAN RUSSIA ENVOYS VISIT GARABAGH

    AzerNews Weekly
    July 8 2009
    Azerbaijan

    The Azerbaijani and Armenian ambassadors to Russia, Polad Bulbuloghlu
    and Armen Smbatian, jointly visited, along with the head of Russia`s
    Federal Agency on Culture and Cinematography, Mikhail Shvydkoy, Upper
    (Nagorno) Garabagh, an Azerbaijani region under Armenian occupation.

    The diplomats crossed to the Armenia-occupied territories through
    Shikharkh village in Azerbaijan`s northwestern Terter district,
    Armenian media reported.

    The Azerbaijani delegation accompanying Bulbuloghlu on his visit
    included two parliament members Asim Mollazada and Rovshan Rzayev,
    as well as composer Siyavush Karimi.

    During their visit to Khankandi, the center of the breakaway
    republic, the ambassadors met with Bako Saakian, the leader of the
    self-proclaimed Upper Garabagh republic. Armenia`s Tert.am news
    website quoted the separatist leader as saying he welcomed the visit
    and describing it as "public diplomacy."

    The Azerbaijani ambassador made clear after the meeting that the
    visit to Garabagh was not meant to be a substitute for talks between
    Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarkisian. Rather, it would speed
    a rapprochement between the two nations that have lived side by side
    for many years.

    Mollazada, an opposition-leaning lawmaker, said "any bad peace is
    better than war." He emphasized that his visit to Khankandi proved
    that not only the Azerbaijani ruling party, but also the country`s
    opposition, is interested in reaching peace.

    On the same day, the Azerbaijani representatives left Upper
    Garabagh for Yerevan where they met with Armenian President Serzh
    Sarkisian. According to Tert.am, Bulbuloghlu told a news briefing
    after the discussions that the talks had been constructive.

    "Our meeting with Sarkisian was quite constructive. It is really good
    that he approached our proposal and initiative with a great deal of
    attention, comprehensively and commendably," Bulbuloghlu said.

    Mikhail Shvidkoy, who also took part in the meeting, confirmed
    Bulbuloghlu`s statement made in Garabagh on Friday. "If Armenians
    and Azeris are able to coexist, work and do business together while
    in a foreign land, why shouldn`t this happen in Garabagh?"

    The Armenian ambassador, Armen Smbatian, said the mission had only
    cultural and peacemaking goals and had no bearing on political or
    military talks.

    "No one has cancelled the neighborhood institute yet," he said. "We may
    or may not accept each other, but we have to forge ties anyway. And men
    of culture from both communities and other influential representatives
    could play a great role in creating a reliable environment."

    On the same day, the group of the two countries` intellectuals arrived
    from Yerevan in Baku where they met with President Ilham Aliyev. The
    Armenian representatives included editor of the Arovot newspaper;
    director of the Mediamax news agency; a reporter of the Novoye Vremya
    (New Time) newspaper; lawmakers; a football player; the directors of a
    museum and a public organization; a medical worker from Upper Garabagh.

    During the meeting, President Aliyev reaffirmed Baku`s intransigent
    stance, saying the conflict with Armenia must be settled strictly
    within the territorial integrity and inviolability of Azerbaijan`s
    borders, while granting Upper Garabagh the status of high autonomy.

    A group of Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectuals visited Khankandi
    and the two countries` capitals for the first time in June 2007.

    Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov considers
    intelligentsia`s visit to Garabagh as necessary.

    "Upper Garabagh is Azerbaijani land. But representatives of the
    Armenian community living there are Azerbaijani citizens. We must prove
    during meetings that, in case of the return of lands to Azerbaijan,
    they will live better...I think that these initiatives are necessary
    and must continue," Mammadyarov told the press in Azerbaijan`s
    northwestern city of Ganja on Monday.

    The self-proclaimed republic operating in Upper Garabagh has welcomed
    the visit to the Armenia-occupied region.

    The separatist regime`s "foreign ministry" said in a statement that
    the visit meets its interests.

    "This visit is particularly commendable for the reason that Azerbaijani
    representatives are working with this state again," it maintained. "At
    the same time, such visits create good conditions for the recognition
    of the Upper Garabagh Republic on the international scale."

    Garabagh Armenians claimed further that the route of the visit and
    the make-up of the Azerbaijani delegation had been altered upon
    their demand.

    "The route of the visit and who will be visiting had been agreed
    beforehand. Upon the demand of the Garabagh side, parliament member
    Havva Mammadova and Chingiz Ismayilov, known for their anti-Armenian
    statements, were excluded from the delegation," the statement alleged.

    Also, the self-proclaimed entity interpreted the Azerbaijani
    delegation`s visit as Baku`s attempt to negotiate directly with itself,
    without mediators.

    MP Asim Mollazada is unaware that the make-up of the delegation
    had been changed. The lawmaker said further that he had heard
    disagreement with the visit route from Armenians, who protested at
    the delegation`s traveling to Khankandi from Azerbaijan. However,
    the issue was later resolved, and the representatives entered there
    from the Terter district.

    In the meantime, Azerbaijan`s hard-line Garabagh Liberation
    Organization (GLO) condemned the visit to the occupied land.

    "Another visit by Azerbaijani intellectuals to the occupied territories
    serves to legitimize the self-styled regime in these territories and
    grant Upper Garabagh to Armenia forever," it claimed in a statement.

    The GLO believes that the visit was made at Moscow`s behest.

    "Russia is trying to show, by organizing this visit, that settlement
    of the conflict is strictly under its control... Russia is using
    Azerbaijani diplomats and intellectuals as puppets on this issue. It
    is disappointing that they are creating conditions for being
    used. Azerbaijani authorities are confining themselves to observing
    the process from the outside, as idle observers," the group alleged.

    The GLO warned it would launch protests to counter what it called
    an anti-national policy, while calling on the political and public
    forces in the country to join efforts in this regard.

    Upper Garabagh has been occupied by Armenia since a 1994 cease-fire
    ended separatist hostilities that killed an estimated 30,000 people
    and ousted about one million Azerbaijanis from their homes. Armenia
    continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani
    districts in defiance of international law. Years of peace talks have
    resulted in few tangible results.

    Another meeting Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectuals are expected
    to hold their next meeting in Moscow on July 20. The joint delegation
    is expected to be broader this time, Azerbaijani political analyst
    Rasim Musabayov, who will take part in the upcoming meeting, has told
    Radio Liberty.

    Musabayov reminded that Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarkisian
    are due to hold a meeting July 17-18 to discuss settlement to the
    Garabagh conflict. "In support of the peace process, intellectuals
    representing both sides will meet afterwards."

    Elkhan Polukhov, the spokesman for the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry, has
    confirmed Baku`s intent to hold another meeting of the two countries`
    intellectuals.
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