MEETINGS WITH NKR PRESIDENT
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
03 Aug 2006
On July 29 NKR President Arkady Ghukassian met with the delegation
of journalists and human rights defenders from Armenia, NKR,
Azerbaijan and Georgia. Arkady Ghukassian appreciated the visit of
the Azerbaijani delegation to Artsakh, which is a positive example
of constructive dialogue between the two societies separated by the
war. Arzu Abdullayeva, the co-chair of Helsinki Civil Assembly and
the coordinator of the National Committee of Azerbaijan, said the
Azerbaijani members of HCA and the Civil Forum on the Settlement
of the Karabakh Conflict are for the engagement of Karabakh in the
talks, a peace settlement and friendly relations between the two
societies. Ms. Abdullayeva said the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Karabakhi
NGOs cooperate in a warm atmosphere and mutual understanding. We
would like the official meetings were in a similar atmosphere. The
participants of the meeting emphasized the problems of reaching a
peace settlement of conflicts and establishment of mutual confidence
between the peoples and societies. Answering their questions, the NKR
president particularly mentioned that a historical reconciliation of
the peoples of the region is the underlying precondition of settlement
of the conflict over Karabakh and establishment of peace. Without
reconciliation it is impossible to implement a peace agreement,
eliminate the consequences of war and clear the path for regional
development, he said. On July 31 NKR President Arkady Ghukassian
met with the Armenian Member of Parliament, the leader of the
National Democratic Party Shavarsh Kocharian and discussed questions
concerning the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, social and economic
development of NKR and parliamentary ties between Artsakh and Armenia.