GERMAN DELEGATION MET WITH KARABAKH NGOS

KarabakhOpen
18-05-2007 18:17:21

Yesterday the German delegation met with the representatives of the
non-governmental sector of Karabakh at the NKR Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Egard Strattenschulte, the director of European Academy
of Berlin, an influential German NGO, said the visit was initiated
together with the Union of Friends of Artsakh set up in Germany
three years ago. The director of the Academy said his organization
holds discussions and seminars on different issues of the European
policy. A year ago the Union of Friends of Artsakh offered them a
proposal to hold a debate on the problem of Artsakh. The speaker of
the Karabakh parliament Ashot Ghulyan was invited to the debate. Now
the delegation is in Karabakh at the invitation of Ashot Ghulyan,
and after returning home the Academy will hold another debate, and
invite the speaker and members of parliament of Karabakh.

The delegation includes member of Bundestag Marcus Gisele, lawyer
Jurgen Schmidt, reporters of the German Radio and the Berliner
Zeitung Newspaper. The head of the Union of Friends of Artsakh of
Berlin Gayane Apinian arrived with the delegation.

Janna Krikorova, secretary general of the NKR foreign ministry,
said the public sector in Karabakh is being created. She said in
Karabakh the development of the public sector is believed to depend
on the support of international donors. "However, the policy of most
international organizations depends on the political conjuncture,
and most organizations refuse to collaborate with even the NGOs of
unrecognized countries," Janna Krikorova said. She emphasized that
a few years ago there was certain progress in his sphere. First,
some international organizations became engaged in Karabakh, and
it stimulated the development of the third sector. Besides, the
government of Karabakh realizes that it is impossible to proceed
along the track for democracy without the public sector. Therefore,
two years ago the government worked out the program of grants to NGOs.

The guests were interested in the possibility of return of the
Azerbaijani refugees to Karabakh in case of the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict.

According to the chair of the Organization of Refugees Sarasar Saryan,
Karabakh wonders why in speaking about refugees the mediators mean the
ethnic Azerbaijanis only. "Now I live in the house of an Azerbaijani,
other people live in my apartment in Baku. And there are over 50
thousand people like me in Karabakh.

With the militaristic statements on the Azerbaijani channels every
day it is impossible to consider their return," said Sarasar Saryan.

"We conduct lots of polls, discussions, round-table meetings,
and I can say that our society is not ready for the return of
Azerbaijanis. Especially people who suffered from the conflict. This
might spark another conflict, new refugees will emerge. We understand
the tragedy of people who lost their homes.

Now, however, these and many other people cannot be endangered again,"
said the coordinator of the Young Democrats Karine Ohanyan.

"According to the last census on population, 137.5 thousand people
live in Karabakh. Who will decide how many refugees should return not
to break the demographic balance? After all, the conflict occurred as
a result of threat of demographic misbalance," said Naira Hayrumyan,
member of the board of Stepanakert Press Club.

"We implement lots of projects in parallel with our Azerbaijani
colleagues.

But we do not have joint projects yet. The people of Karabakh cannot
visit Azerbaijan, they constantly hear about new laws prohibiting
contacts with Armenians," said the director of Stepanakert Resource
Center Irina Grigoryan.

"The international community cares for the Azerbaijani refugees
but ignores not only the Armenian refugees but also the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh. The reason is that Azerbaijan politicizes the problem
of refugees, whereas Armenia preferred naturalization and integration
of refugees. Apparently, the problem of refugees is one of Azerbaijan’s
methods of expansion towards Karabakh," said the secretary general
of the NKR ministry of foreign affairs Janna Krikorova.

During the three-day visit the guests will also meet with the
government, businessmen of Nagorno Karabakh, visit Shushi and
Gandzasar.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress