AZERI INTELLECTUALS’ VISIT TO GARABAGH NECESSARY – MINISTER
AssA-Irada
July 6, 2009 Monday
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov considers
intelligentsia’s visit to Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh, an Azerbaijani
region occupied by the Armenian forces, as necessary. "Upper Garabagh
is Azerbaijani land. But representatives of the Armenian community
living there are Azerbaijani citizens. We must prove during meetings
that, in case of the return of lands to Azerbaijan, they will live
better. Azerbaijanis will be able to return to their native lands,
including Shusha, after resolving the conflict. I think that these
initiatives are necessary and must continue," Mammadyarov told the
press in Azerbaijans northwestern city of Ganja on Monday. Azerbaijani
and Armenian ambassadors to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu and Armen Smbatian,
head of the Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography Mikhail
Shvydkoy, while visiting Upper Garabagh, met with the president of
the unrecognized republic Bako Saakyan in its center, Khankandi, on
Friday, Armenian media said. The Azerbaijani delegation comprised
six representatives, including two members of the parliament
Asim Mollazada, Rovshan Rzayev and composer Sayavush Karimi. Then
Azerbaijani delegation arrived in Armenia to meet with President Serzh
Sarkisian. Members of the group left Yerevan and arrived in Baku on
the same day. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received them. It
is the second visit to Upper Garabagh of Azerbaijani and Armenian
ambassadors to Russia.