AZERI DELEGATION LED BY AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA VISITS YEREVAN, STEPANAKERT

Interfax
July 3 2009
Russia

An Azeri delegation led by Azeri Ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu
met with Armenian President Serzh Sargsian in Yerevan on Friday.

"The conversation with Serzh Sargsian passed in a constructive
atmosphere. It was a pleasure to feel that he treats our proposals
and initiative with great attention, understanding, and approval,"
Bulbuloglu told journalists in Yerevan on Friday.

Russian special presidential representative for international cultural
cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoi said the mission was aimed at showing
the people that "the two nations do not have an alternative other than
live side by side and if not like then at least respect each other."

"Despite all the tensions that are felt in relations between the two
societies, people can change," Shvydkoi said.

Armenian Ambassador to Russia Armen Smbatian said, "Nobody has canceled
the notion of neighborliness. We may like or dislike each other,
but we must normalize relations. People of culture and authoritative
members of the two societies can play a great role in creating an
atmosphere of confidence."

Bulbuloglu, Smbatian, and Shdyvkoi also pointed out that their mission
was exclusively cultural in nature and had no relation to political
negotiations that the leaders of their countries are holding.

The delegation, which also included Azeri parliamentarians Asim
Mollazade and Rovsan Rzayev and composer Siyavush Kerimalso, met with
Nagorno-Karabakh President Bako Saakian in Stepanakert on Friday.