Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
March 8 2004

ATMOSPHERE OF MUTUAL TRUST IS NECESSARY

On March 5 the NKR minister of foreign affairs met with the director
of the Stepanakert office of the International Committee of the Red
Cross Charlotte Hardford whose term of duties in NKR has expired.
Charlotte Hardford introduced to the minister Mireille Benare who
will take up the duties of the director of the ICRC representation in
Nagorni Karabakh, and expressed hope that the cooperation between the
international mission and the Karabakh authorities will go on under
the new director. Ms. Hardford thanked the NKR government for
providing favourable working conditions and for the assistance to the
ICRC for effective implementation of its mission. The NKR minister of
foreign affairs thanked Charlotte Hardford for fruitful activities
and also expressed hope that the tradition of cooperation of the NKR
government and especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the
ICRC will have further development. Ashot Ghulian emphasized that it
will be possible to settle all the problems of the conflict parties
only if an atmosphere of mutual trust is maintained, efforts are
united and the humanitarian issues are not politicized, which greatly
hinders their solution. The participants of the meeting discussed a
number of humanitarian problems and the far-reaching programs of the
ICRC in Nagorni Karabakh concerning health care, aid to the citizens
suffered in the conflict, foundation of children’s safe playgrounds.

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