Azerbaijan, Baku, July 10 / Trend , U.Sadikhova/
Russia's desire to take a more active part in changing the conflict situation in the South Caucasus has opened up good opportunities to continue a peace process, the Member of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Asim Mollazadeh said.
If we can solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by peaceful means, then it is a very positive factor for the entire region, Mollazadeh said.
The Azerbaijani intelligentsia's recent visit to the Nagorno-Karabakh and their meeting in Yerevan will not be able to replace the negotiating process and even are not called "people's diplomacy", and the mission is aimed at rapprochement in the process, Mollazadeh said at a news conference on July 10.
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. Smbatian, Polad Bul-Bul oglu and Shvydko met with the President of the unrecognized NKR Bako Saakyan in Khankandi last week, 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.
"Our mission aims to support the peace process, and we are confident that the peoples of the South Caucasus can live in peace, and we should seize the opportunity to advance peace in the region," said the parliamentarian.
We must act rationally and not emotionally to use our capacity for peace, Mollazadeh said.
The position of the Armenian lobby and the Armenians in Armenia differ. "In Armenia, I saw a willingness to sign a peace agreement which President Sargsyan said at the meeting with us," he said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement 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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