Armenians not ready for dialogue with Karabakh’s Azerbaijani community
By Abdul Karimkhanov
The Chairman of the Public Association of the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh, Tural Ganjaliyev, has said that Armenians are not willing to enter dialogue with Karabakh’s Azerbaijani community and do not want to be reminded about their existence.
He made the remarks at a round table discussion held at the Center for the Analysis of International Relations on October 18, while commenting on the community’s recent meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs that mediate the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"The meeting of the OSCE co-chairs with Azerbaijani Community aroused great concern among Armenians. They cannot get over the co-chairs’ statement about the meeting with the Azerbaijani community. Yesterday, we conveyed all our requests and wishes to co-chairs, noting that we have repeatedly appealed to the Armenian community for meetings and dialogues. However, the Armenian community still gave no reaction," Ganjaliyev noted.
This was the community's second meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.
"The meeting with the co-chairs greatly disturbed the Nagorno-Karabakh separatists. While putting forward various reasons and claims, they cannot bear that in their statement the co-chairs indicated the Azerbaijani community," Ganjaliyev went on saying.
He mentioned that the international community recognizes the need for co-existence between Nagorno-Karabakh's Azerbaijani and Armenian communities. Armenian community “is well aware of this, but its reluctance to coexist testifies to the unconstructive intentions.”
Ganjaliyev also mentioned that during the meeting, he informed the co-chairs about the situation in connection with the destroyed cultural and historical monuments and religious heritage in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, demanding that such illegal practices are stopped.
"The Community protested regarding the completed 'repair' of the Govharagha mosque, which is the main symbol of Shusha city. We once again told the co-chairs that this is a step aimed at falsifying the Azerbaijani history and that they should put pressure on Armenians to put an end to their illegal, criminal activity," Ganjaliyev concluded.
He said that the Community continues to work actively and holds meetings both inside and outside the country.
Baku strengthens the role of Karabakh’s Azerbaijani community and wants to ensure equal access to negotiations of the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities in the region.
In determining the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, it is impossible to take as a basis the position of only the Armenian side. The Azerbaijani community, which as a result of ethnic cleansing was forced to leave their homes, has the legal right to participate in determining the future legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh.
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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94
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