REPRESENTATIVES OF AZERBAIJANI CIVIL SOCIETY TO VISIT NAGORNO KARABAKH AGAIN

Today.Az
21 February 2008

The next visit of representatives of Azerbaijan’s civil society
to Nagorno Karabakh in the framework of "popular diplomacy" of
participation in talks on Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno
-Karabakh is expected in spring.

The due announcement was made by Arzu Abdullayeva, chairman of the
Azerbaijani National Committee of the Helsinki Civil Assembly, at a
regular session of the Public Council for Nagorno Karabakh conflict
resolution.

She said the visit of a delegation of 10 people will last for a week,
Novosti-Azerbaijan reports.

She also informed about the problems of passing the front line.

"Following the vsit of the first mission of popular diplomatslead by
the Culture Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia to Baku, Yerevan and
Khankendi, the officials of the state announced that such practice
will ensure rapprochement of the sides, which will have a positive
impact on the process of the conflict resolution. We have informed
country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs about our plans. But the answer
was negative and we were not allowed to pay a visit to Nagorno Karabakh
via the front line", Abdullayeva said noting that in this case they
will have to go to Khankendi via Armenia.

According to the human rights activist, the talks on the peaceful
resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict are held both on the official
and unofficial levels.

"We have been working in this direction since 1993. Initially,
our activity aimed to find missing people and those Armenians and
Azerbaijanis, who were captured in the result of the Karabakh war. We
have collected due information and ensured their return home.

Moreover, we are striving for creation of conditions for the
representatives of the Azerbaijani and Armenian community, scientists,
people, engaged in the Karabakh problems, to discuss the possible
resolution of the conflict.

Certainly, this is a long-term process, whose resolution does not
envision a single prescription", the chairman said.

Abdullayeva noted that the position of the Azerbaijani people in this
issue remains changeless: the occupied lands must be released.

"The Prague negotiation process on the peaceful resolution of the
conflict is at a dead end right now. This is caused by the fact that
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen have their own interests in the
issue. The resolution of the problem is complicated by the fact that
Russia and the United States can not come to a single decision in
the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. The powers of Azerbaijan and
Armenia should undertake necessary steps for the conflict settlement
and there is a need to promote the development of the civil society",
the human rights activity noted and said that there is a need to
prepare the population of the two countries for peaceful coexistence.

She said she considers it to be a purpose of the visit to Nagorno
Karabakh.

"We will take part in a conference in Armenia and will then visit
Nagorno Karabakh, as we are obliged to choose this very route",
she said.