JOURNALISTS SEEK TO VISIT GARABAGH
AzerNews Weekly
July 21 2009
Azerbaijan
A group of Azeri journalists are seeking to visit Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh, a region under Armenian occupation, according to one of
the organizers of the planned visit.
Jeyhun Musaoghlu said the initiative aims to obtain transparent
information on whether or not Azeris and Armenians will be able to
live side by side after the two countries resolve their long-standing
conflict.
"By answering the question whether or not Garabagh Armenians, who
are de jure considered citizens of Azerbaijan, will be able to live
alongside us, we will have answered the question of either peace or
war coming to the forefront."
Musaoghlu said that, to avoid any reproaches, the journalists are
looking to visit the occupied region under Azerbaijan`s patronage
and have sought permission from the Foreign Ministry. According to
Musaoghlu, the list of journalists willing to pay the visit is ready,
but they are not being named to avoid "outside pressure."
Musaoghlu added that government agencies have not yet responded to
the initiative.
The proposal comes following a recent joint visit by Azeri and
Armenian intellectuals to Upper Garabagh, which represented a public
diplomacy effort.
Upper Garabagh has been occupied by Armenia since a 1994 ceasefire
ended hostilities that killed an estimated 30,000 people and ousted
about one million Azeris from their homes. Years of peace talks have
brought few tangible results.