...

The Issue that the Armenians do not Permit Representatives of Azerbaijani Community to Visit Nagorno-Karabakh is Linked with Miserable Situation in the Region: Head of Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict Materials 8 August 2007 12:54 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend I.Alizade / The issue that the Armenians do not permit the representatives of the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh to visit Nagorno-Karabakh is linked with the miserable situation in the region. The Head of the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh, Nizami Bahmanov, considers that in this way, the Armenians try to hide the miserable situation.

Bahmanov stressed that during his meetings with the representatives of the international organizations and foreign countries, as well as Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, he raised the question of creating conditions to visit the region. However, they have inattentively approached the visit of representatives of the Azerbaijani Community to Nagorno-Karabakh. Bahmanov believes that the Azerbaijanis will surely return to their Native Lands in Nagorno-Karabakh. "There are two ways of resolving the conflict - the peaceful talks should yield results or Azerbaijan will release its occupied territories through armed forces," he said.

Bahmanov said that they can visit Nagorno-Karabakh only through the route of Baku-Agdam-Khankendi-Shusha. However, the Armenians have so wildly destroyed Agdam and other surrounding villages that they do not want to create conditions for the representatives of the international organizations to visit the region. Thus, they want to hide their barbarism committed in occupied Azerbaijani lands.

Bahmanov added that they have further conditions with regards to the visit to Nagorno-Karabakh. "If such a visit takes place, we will not hold any talks and meetings under 'emblem' and 'flag' of Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenians are also aware of our conditions and therefore, they do not allow us to visit Nagorno-Karabakh," he said.

In addition, the Head of the Azerbaijani Community stressed that they have requirements to the OSCE Minsk Group's Co-chairs. "There are two interested sides in this conflict. They are Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh. The future status of Nagorno-Karabakh will also be determined as a result of discussions between these interested sides. Therefore, we demand the international organizations to organize the meetings of the two communities. The meetings should take place exactly in occupied Azerbaijani lands. Up to now, the meetings have taken place in foreign countries and have also been attended by the representatives of the Minsk Group member-countries. We require to hold these meetings in Shusha," he said.

The Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Araz Azimov, has stated that Armenians do not permit the representatives of the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh to visit the region and do not accept suggestions on this issue.

The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988 due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding Districts. Since 1992, these territories have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France and USA) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.

Latest

Latest