NKR FM STATED REPRESENTATIVES OF NKR MUST PARTICIPATE IN SEARCH FOR MISSING PEOPLE AND HOSTAGES

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 20 2006

June 19 Nagorno Karabakh Republic FM Georgy Petrosyan received
a delegation of the International Working Group (IWG) on the
search for the missing people, hostages and release of POWs. The
IWG Co-Chairs Bernhard Klazen (Germany) and Paata Zakareishvili
(Georgia), Coordinators Karine Minasyan (RA), Avaz Gasanov (AR)
and Albert Voskanyan (NKR) are in the delegation.

In the course of the meeting the interlocutors discussed the IWG
present activity, the issues referring to activation of the search for
the missing people and burial places, current problems and perspective
plans, REGNUM reports quoting the NKR MFA Press Service. Georgy
Petrosyan noted Nagorno Karabakh constantly promoted the IWG activity
and was open for cooperation, while the Azeri authorities persistently
deny contacts with the NKR corresponding state committee. In
this connection the Minister spoke up for the inadmissibility of
the sphere’s politicization and called on the IWG members to more
precisely express their attitude to the issue contradicting with the
humanitarian law’s principles. NKR FM underscored the hostilities
had been committed on the territory of Nagorno Karabakh, and the NKR
representatives must directly and actively participate in the search
for the missing, hostages and release of POWs.

The IWG members agreed with the NKR FM’s opinion on the Karabakh
party’s openness and its assistance to the group’s work. At the
same time Bernhard Klazen regretted that former POWs were judged and
persecuted in Azerbaijan.

He noted the IWG would do its best to persuade Baku to abandon the
practice.

The meeting’s participants spoke up for all the concerned parties’
active cooperation in the settlement of the humanitarian sphere’s
issues.

The same day the IWG delegation met with the Chair of the NKR
State Commission for POWs, hostages and the missing people Victor
Kocharyan. The member of the State Commission, NKR Deputy FM Masis
Mailyan participated in the meeting as well.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress