Karabakh sceptical about Azeri pressure group’s peace march

Arminfo, Yerevan
26 Apr 04

STEPANAKERT

People in the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR] are very sceptical
about the Azerbaijani Karabakh Liberation Organization’s intention to
march to Nagornyy Karabakh and to end it in the town of Susa
[Armenian-occupied Shushi] on 8 May.

David Babayan, an employee of the NKR presidential office, told
Arminfo news agency that this action is mainly aimed at fermenting
public opinion and drawing attention to the Karabakh problem against
the background of diminishing interest on the part of ordinary
Azerbaijanis who are now more concerned about social and domestic
issues. By this escapade the organizers of the action aim to divert
the attention of the people from the domestic problems. At the same
time they intend to draw attention to themselves and to show their
political importance.

For his part, the deputy of the NKR National Assembly, Maxim Mirzoyan,
said that the Azerbaijani organization’s intention is pure adventurism
and political intrigue. There are many other ways of attracting the
attention of the international community to the Karabakh problem. “If
Baku really strives for a peaceful settlement of the problem, I am
sure the optimum way would have been found ,” Maxim Mirzoyan said.

Member of the board of the youth organization [?Ayk Generation]
Yervand Gadzhiyan said that this action is a populist one. It aims to
revive the flagging spirit of military [as published] patriotism of
Azerbaijani society ahead of new peaceful efforts aimed at settling
the Karabakh issue and to make the Azerbaijanis less flexible on the
issue.