Baku Today
July 7 2004

US Ambassador Visits Nakhchivan

U.S. ambassador Reno Harnish arrived in Azerbaijan’s autonomous
republic of Nakhchivan Tuesday on a two-day visit.

On the first day of the visit, Harnish met with Vasif Talibov,
chairman of the Nakhchivani parliament. The current political and
economic situation in the autonomous republic reportedly topped the
agenda of the meeting.

The U.S. ambassador is also expected to discuss Nakhchivan’s poor
human rights record with the authorities of the autonomous republic.
Local and international rights groups, opposition parties as well as
media representatives complain about violation of basic human rights
and freedoms in Nakhchivan.

Several members of the Center for Democratic Development (CDD), an
alliance of local branches of opposition parties, have been refusing
food since June 21 in protest of police harassments.

Turan reported that Talibov told the U.S. ambassador about reforms
carried out in Nakhchivan over the recent years. Talibov also lamented
that the people of Nakhchivan cannot export their products to other
regions of Azerbaijan because of a 12-year-long blockade by Armenia.