AZERI FORREIGN MINISTER CONSIDERS THE MUTUAL VISITS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED

armradio.am
03.07.2007 13:16

Elmar Mammadyarov, the Azerbaijani Foriegn Minister, stated that
if we wish to prepare the nation for peace, mutual visits by the
intelligentsia of Azerbaijan and Armenia should be encouraged,
Trend reports.

The minister said that mutual visits by Azerbaijan and Armenia are
not harmful, but fruitful. He considered the visit of representatives
of the Azerbaijani intelligentsia to Nagorno-Karabakh to be quite
normal. "If the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh are the citizens of
Azerbaijan, then their visit to that region should be met as normal
practice. This does not indicate inclusion of Nagorno-Karabakh in
the talks as a party. As a Minister I hold talks with the Armenian
Minister.

Azerbaijanis visiting Nagorno-Karabakh is not a tragedy," the Foreign
Minister assured.

Voicing his attitude towards the presidential elections in the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, the Minister noted that until the
Azerbaijani community is repatriated to their native land, any
elections held in that region will not be considered as legal.

Commenting on negotiations held with Armenia, the Minister stressed
that the Co-Chairs should analyze the results of a meeting of
Presidents in St.

Petersburg. Only then will it be possible to speak about taking
further steps.