Nagorno-Karabakh participates in tourism expo in Moscow

19-05-2007 12:06:11 – KarabakhOpen

Nagorno-Karabakh has a separate stand on the 7th international tourism
fair at the expo center of the Gostini Dvor in Moscow launched
Thursday, reported the correspondent of the Azerbaijani Trend news
agency.

With a week to go before the forum in Moscow the leaders of the
Azerbaijani Diasporan organizations (Federal National and Cultural
Autonomy of Azerbaijanis of Russia, Karabakh International Foundation
and Coordination Board of Azerbaijani Youth) sent letters to the
Tourism Committee of Moscow claiming that Nagorno-Karabakh is not
authorized to be presented not only as a republic but also a sovereign
region. They reminded in the message about the consequences of the
similar effort in the previous 6th expo in Moscow (May 13, 2006) where
the region was presented as `Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’. At that time
the `activists’ of the Azerbaijani Diasporan organizations hindered
the presentation of the stand of NKR, which almost led to a fight. The
message holds that the decision to have a separate stand of
Nagorno-Karabakh may have bad consequences, and the Tourism Committee
of Moscow will be responsible.

Trend reported that the representative of the Tourism Committee called
back and informed that this time Nagorno-Karabakh will be presented
not as a republic, and there will be no national symbols on the
stand. Nevertheless, the Azerbaijani side in the face of the Diasporan
organizations demanded closing down the stand of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In fact, Nagorno-Karabakh is presented as a geographic region, not as
a republic. `But on this stand the Azerbaijani objects, clothes, wines
are presented as Armenian. On May 18 and 19 besides the presentation
of the Azerbaijani stand the presentation of the separate stand of
Nagorno-Karabakh is planned. The activists of the Azerbaijani
Diasporan organizations are ready to prevent it,’ the message holds.