Azerbaijan, Baku, July 4 / Trend , A.Huseynbala /
After the visit to Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, Azerbaijani MP said that his confidence increased in peaceful solution of the conflict.
"I came to a conclusion after meetings in Khankendi and Yerevan, as well as discussions with the President of Armenia Serj Sarkisyan that significant progresses have been achieved in the peace negotiations process and currently there is a great potential to end the process. I think that such visits assume special importance to achieve peace," chairman of Democratic Reforms Party, MP Asim Mollazade, told Trend .
Azerbaijani and Armenian Ambassadors to Russia Polad Bul-Bul oglu and Armen Smbatian, as well as Head of Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography Mikhail Shvydko are on visit in the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. On July 3, Smbatian, Polad Bul-Bul oglu and Shvydko met with the President of the unrecognized NKR Bako Saakyan in Khankandi, the Armenian media reported.
A six-member Azerbaijani delegation, as well as two members of the Azerbaijani parliament Asim Mollazade and Rovshan Rzayev and composer Siyavush Karimi arrived in Khankandi.
The Azerbaijani delegation left for Armenia and met with President Serzh Sargsyan.
At the end of the day, the Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, as well.
This is the second visit of the Azerbaijani and Armenian ambassadors to Russia to the Nagorno-Karabakh.
Representatives of the Armenian and Azerbaijani intelligentsia visited Khankandi, Yerevan and Baku on June 28 in 2007 upon the initiative of the two countries' ambassadors to Russia.
Mollazade said it is possible to achieve the many in the peace process by late 2009.
"We have never had such an opportunity to resolve the conflict, as today's," the chairman of the party said. The parliamentarian said such meetings may be organized to the Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia for the next time.
"I think even the composition can be enlarged. It is even possible to intensify this process at the parliament, civil society and media level. In this regard, we can also gain societies' support for the governmental officials. This process must be developed more to create a favorable atmosphere for peace," Mollazade stressed.
He believes intensifying these meetings will speed up to settle the conflict through peace between the governmental officials.
"Societies provide some political circles with relevant support and this is the first positive influence. These meetings favor rapprochement of the positions," the parliamentarian said.
As to his impressions about Shusha, Mollazade regretted the current situation in the city. "Naturally, too few people live in the city and Shusha is in a very difficult position," the parliamentarian said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7 districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
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