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RAFFI HOVANNISIAN: AZERBAIJANIS HAVE A RIGHT TO RETURN TO INDEPENDENT KARABAKH
arminfo
Thursday, November 22, 13:54
ArmInfo-Turan: Former-foreign minister of Armenia and Leader of
Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian arrived in Baku to address the 7th
International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) scheduled
for Nov 22-23.
Talking to journalists, Hovannisian said: "Residents of Nagorno
Karabakh have a right to self- determination and I hope that we
will manage to achieve peace and restore relations. I think it will
happen when the parties realize that they are responsible for the
entire region. Nagorno-Karabakh residents have a right to speak of
their identity and that right should be respected. Identity should be
respected also when it comes to cultural heritage of the parties. At
the same time, sharp statements and allegations do not contribute to
peaceful resolution of the conflict," he said.
"I understand the problems of 700,000 Azerbaijan refugees and the
rights of 400,000 Armenian refugees expelled from Baku and Sumgait.
All them have a right to return to their lands, including Azerbaijanis
to the independent Nagorno Karabakh and Armenians to Turkey. I am
here to seek a solution to the conflict. This is my first visit to
Baku and I hope I can visit an Armenian church and meet those few
Armenians that still live in Baku," Raffi Hovannisian said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict broke out on February 28 1988 in the
Azerbaijani Sumgait with massacre of Armenians as a peculiar response
of Azerbaijanis to the peaceful demand of the Nagorno-Karabakh
autonomous Region, part of the Azerbaijani SSR, to unite with the
Armenian SSR. This resulted in other pogroms of Armenians in Baku,
Kirovabad and other regions of Azerbaijan populated with Armenians.
In 1991 Azerbaijan unleashed war against peaceful populations of
Nagorno-Karabakh, expulsing ethnic Armenians from the territory of
Azerbaijan. Dozens of thousands of peaceful residents on both parties
were killed in the military actions, and hundreds of thousands were
left homeless and have become refugees. In 1994 in Bishkek in mediation
of the OSCE MG, the NKR, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a Protocol on
Ceasefire that is observed more or less so far. Since 1992 the OSCE
Minsk Group represented by co- chairs from Russia, U.S. and France has
been mediating in resolution of the conflict unleashed by Azerbaijan
in 1988. At present the peace process is based on the Madrid Principles
suggested by the OSCE MG in 2007 in Madrid and renovated in 2009.
From: A. Papazian
arminfo
Thursday, November 22, 13:54
ArmInfo-Turan: Former-foreign minister of Armenia and Leader of
Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian arrived in Baku to address the 7th
International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) scheduled
for Nov 22-23.
Talking to journalists, Hovannisian said: "Residents of Nagorno
Karabakh have a right to self- determination and I hope that we
will manage to achieve peace and restore relations. I think it will
happen when the parties realize that they are responsible for the
entire region. Nagorno-Karabakh residents have a right to speak of
their identity and that right should be respected. Identity should be
respected also when it comes to cultural heritage of the parties. At
the same time, sharp statements and allegations do not contribute to
peaceful resolution of the conflict," he said.
"I understand the problems of 700,000 Azerbaijan refugees and the
rights of 400,000 Armenian refugees expelled from Baku and Sumgait.
All them have a right to return to their lands, including Azerbaijanis
to the independent Nagorno Karabakh and Armenians to Turkey. I am
here to seek a solution to the conflict. This is my first visit to
Baku and I hope I can visit an Armenian church and meet those few
Armenians that still live in Baku," Raffi Hovannisian said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict broke out on February 28 1988 in the
Azerbaijani Sumgait with massacre of Armenians as a peculiar response
of Azerbaijanis to the peaceful demand of the Nagorno-Karabakh
autonomous Region, part of the Azerbaijani SSR, to unite with the
Armenian SSR. This resulted in other pogroms of Armenians in Baku,
Kirovabad and other regions of Azerbaijan populated with Armenians.
In 1991 Azerbaijan unleashed war against peaceful populations of
Nagorno-Karabakh, expulsing ethnic Armenians from the territory of
Azerbaijan. Dozens of thousands of peaceful residents on both parties
were killed in the military actions, and hundreds of thousands were
left homeless and have become refugees. In 1994 in Bishkek in mediation
of the OSCE MG, the NKR, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a Protocol on
Ceasefire that is observed more or less so far. Since 1992 the OSCE
Minsk Group represented by co- chairs from Russia, U.S. and France has
been mediating in resolution of the conflict unleashed by Azerbaijan
in 1988. At present the peace process is based on the Madrid Principles
suggested by the OSCE MG in 2007 in Madrid and renovated in 2009.
From: A. Papazian