AZERBAIJANI COMMUNITY OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH OFFERED TO SUSPEND FUNCTIONING

Trend
Dec 6 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 5 Dec / Trend News corr I. Alizade / There is no need
for Azerbaijanis residing in the Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani region
of Nagorno-Karabakh to function as a community or public organization.

"Armenians are densely populated in Nagorno-Karabakh and they can
form there an Armenian community with Azerbaijan. But it is not
logical to form an Azerbaijani community within Azerbaijan itself,"
Elman Mammadov, co-founder of public association Azerbaijani Community
in Nagorno Karabakh and MP representing Khojali city of the region,
told Trend News on 5 Dec.

Nizami Bahmanov, head of the Azerbaijani Community in Nagorno Karabakh,
died on 13 Sep 2008. Bamanov was also the head of the Shusha District
Executive Committee. The both posts still remain unoccupied. In October
2006, the Justice Ministry registered the Azerbaijani Community in
Nagorno Karabakh led by Bahmanov. The founders of the community are
Bahramov and MPs from Nagorno-Karabakh – Elman Mammadov and Havva
Mammadova.

"Azerbaijanis residing in foreign countries can form a community
such as Azerbaijani community in Georgia or in Russia. However,
Nagorno-Karabakh is the territory of Azerbaijan and no Azerbaijani
community should exist there," Mammadov added.

Mammadov said that as Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Province does not
exist, it should not have any Azerbaijani community either.

"We enjoy the same status as Azerbaijanis residing in other places of
the country. Why should we form a community then? It is nonsense. I
see no need for this community," Mammadov said.

According to Mammadov, Azerbaijanis and Armenians cannot form any
community unless Nagorno-Karabakh gets status within Azerbaijan.

"The negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia are underway and
the communities do not attend this process. The formation of the
community will be discussed as long as the negotiations reach the
stage when requiring the joining of Azerbaijanis and Armenians living
in Nagorno-Karabakh to this process," Mammadov said.

Mammadov said that the discussions over appointment of the new chairman
to the community remain are still to take place.