EUROPEAN COMMISSION PUTS OFF AZERI, ARMENIAN REPS` MEETING
AzerNews Weekly
July 15 2009
Azerbaijan
The European Commission (EC) has postponed the meeting of Azeri
and Armenian civil society representatives scheduled for Thursday
in Brussels, according to rights defender Arzu Abdullayeva, who
was to represent Azerbaijan at the discussions. Abdullayeva said
the postponement was explained during a visit by the Commission`s
delegation to Moscow scheduled for mid-July. "A meeting of the Azeri
and Armenian presidents will be held there. Brussels representatives
are looking to meet with them to learn their views on ways of reaching
a peaceful solution to the Upper Garabagh conflict," Abdullayeva said.
The meeting of Azeri and Armenian NGO representatives was to be
organized with the EC`s support by the European Peacebuilding Liaison
Office (EPLO), a group of 12 international organizations dealing
with the resolution of conflicts. The discussions, which aimed to
conduct consultations on ways of resolving the Garabagh problem,
were to focus on the European Union`s potential steps. The initiative
came after Friday`s joint visit by Azeri and Armenian intellectuals
to Upper Garabagh, an Azeri region under Armenian occupation, seeking
to conduct public diplomacy.