CO-OP WITH ARMENIAN NGOS HONORING INTERNATIONAL LAW SEEN AS NORMAL

AssA-Irada
September 1, 2009 Tuesday
Azerbaijan

The head of Azerbaijans state body supporting local non-governmental
organizations has said he deems as normal cooperation with Armenian
NGOs honoring international law. Azay Guliyev, the chairman
of the Council for State Support to NGOs under the President,
told the Baku-based ATV channel that Azerbaijan should focus on
collaborating with organizations capable of putting pressure on
the Armenian authorities to achieve the Armenian sides constructive
stance. Unlike previous years, now it is wrong for local organizations
to object to cooperation with Armenian NGOs, said Guliyev. If Armenian
organizations manage to make recommendations on settling the Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict in line with international legal norms and
UN resolutions [on unconditional pullout of the Armenian armed forces
from the occupied Azerbaijani territories], we should not refuse
to cooperate with them. Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in
conflict for over a decade.

Peace talks that kicked off after the lengthy war ended with the
signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but have brought little tangible
result so far.