Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 8
By Anakhanum Hidayatova – Trend:
Humanism is the foundation upon which peace can be built between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Armenian human rights activist Vage Avetyan said in Baku.
He was addressing the conference titled “The Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: main obstacles and prospects of the settlement. View from Armenia and Azerbaijan” on Nov. 8.
Avetyan said he was warmly welcomed in Azerbaijan.
“I arrived a week ago and called this visit my personal hajj. I am here not only as a politician, but also as a writer, as an individual. I wanted to bow before the Khojaly genocide memorial,” said Avetyan.
He noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved by Azerbaijan and Armenia without help from intermediaries.
“I dream of the two countries living in peace. I dream of cultural exchange. We, as public organizations, can help our governments to resolve the conflict. We have been in a state of conflict for 27 years now, and it is time to solve the issue,” Avetyan said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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