RUSSIAN MP: NO BAKU PERMIT NECESSARY FOR VISITING KARABAKH

Pan Armenian News
21.05.2005 04:48

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “A visit to Nagorno Karabakh means that I visited
it and nothing more,” stated Russian State Duma Deputy Konstantin
Zatulin when answering a question of Echo Baku newspaper whether this
act is recognition of the independence of Nagorno Karabakh by the
Russian MP. “As of the “recognition” of the unrecognized republic,
the word “unrecognized” refers to the relations of other countries of
the world with Nagorno Karabakh,” Zatulin continued. In his words,
he is not a state and his actions should be considered as those of
a private person. “I went to Nagorno Karabakh and I do not think
one has to ask for a permission of Azerbaijan. I flatly disagree
with the opinion I should not go there.” Answering the remark that
he accomplished his visit via Armenia, “which can per se mean loyal
attitude towards the occupation,” he answered, “Try to visit Nagorno
Karabakh via Azerbaijan and then tell me how you managed to do it.” In
his words, it is his 9th visit to Karabakh. “I suppose the topic of
“How one should visit Nagorno Karabakh” can endlessly be discussed,
however I am convinced that it is necessary to visit Nagorno Karabakh,
as well as engage in other affairs, which maybe do not keep within the
formal rhetoric of the parties,” he accentuated. As Zatulin noted,
it is necessary to hold talks continuously. The latest meeting of
the Armenian and Azeri Presidents in Warsaw turn out constructive
according to the reports of both parties. Simultaneously he noted
that proceeding from the first model of behavior of Ilham Aliyev,
the meeting would not take place. However, in his words, Aliyev
displayed responsibility and met with his Armenian counterpart,
which should further be done without any conditions. “If we proceed
from this approach to the affair, the Azeri newspaper will become
less interested in the formal side of the questions why someone went
somewhere and will be more interested in impressions of those, who
went there and their own positions,” he underscored.