U.S.: AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA SHOULD HAVE MORE CONTACTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.06.2007 17:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The United States appraises the exchange of visit
by Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectuals. We regard that there should
be more contact between these two countries," the U.S. Embassy Public
Affairs Officer Jonathan Henick said.

"We regard that such visits, relations between the journalists would
reduce the tension over the conflict. That is a good step, such visits
would help to reach a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict," the Embassy officer said.

The diplomat saying that mutual visits of Azerbaijani and Armenian
intellectuals were not held on the initiative of OSCE Minsk Group
stated that such steps should be approved in any case.

"Since the Presidents and Foreign Ministers negotiate why not
representatives of other strata of the society maintain contact?" he
concluded, APA reports.

Yesterday the Azeri delegation led by Polad Bul-Bul-ogly, Azerbaijani
Ambassador to Russia, crossed the mine-free sector of the contact
line between the Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijani armed forced, on
Mardakert-Terter (Mir Bashir) road. The delegation was accompanied to
Stepanakert by representatives of the Karabakhi side. A delegation
of Armenian intelligentsia led by Armen Smbatian, RA Ambassador to
Russia also arrived in the NKR capital.

Afterwards, the delegations made for Yerevan to meet Armenian President
Robert Kocharian.

The visit was organized by initiative of both Ambassadors.