Ukrainian broadcaster moves to defuse tension after controversial report
The Ukrainian private TV channel, Inter, has said it
was ready to comprehensively cover the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict, following the airing of its
controversial report that drew fire from Azerbaijan.
"The channel would be grateful if the conflicting sides helped us on that," Inter said in a statement.
The broadcast, which was aired on Sunday, provided biased information about the Garabagh conflict and presented the occupied ancient Azerbaijani town of Shusha as Armenian territory. Baku condemned the report in a note sent by the Azerbaijani embassy in Ukraine to the country’s Foreign Ministry on Monday, according to Ambassador Talat Aliyev.
"Being aware that with regards to Upper Garabagh, there is a situation of international conflict and sharp differences between both officials and private individuals of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Inter TV channel had not planned either to produce or to broadcast a report devoted to the legal, factual and other political status of this territory," Inter’s statement said.
The broadcaster assured that the report was devoted not to the Garabagh conflict "but directly this territory and its inhabitants" and that its format was reporting journalism, i.e., covering the day-to-day lives of the people.
"We were inside the problem, describing not the conflict, which involves sides, but the life of Upper Garabagh in early Dec. 2009. All evaluations, emotions, attitudes reflected in the report belong to them as residents of the territory. Inter TV channel does not share these or any other positions - we just show our audience the way life is in different parts of Ukraine and the world," said the statement.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry is looking into Baku’s protest note, its spokesman Valery Jigun said.
Jigun stressed that Inter is a private TV channel and the points made in its program completely contradict Kyiv’s stance.
"I have not watched the program, but I was told that the footage covered the conflict with only one side’s position. This is unprofessional," the spokesman said.
Jigun said Ukraine’s stance on the Garabagh conflict remains unchanged, and his government supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and a speedy and peaceful settlement of the dispute strictly complying with international law.
"The channel would be grateful if the conflicting sides helped us on that," Inter said in a statement.
The broadcast, which was aired on Sunday, provided biased information about the Garabagh conflict and presented the occupied ancient Azerbaijani town of Shusha as Armenian territory. Baku condemned the report in a note sent by the Azerbaijani embassy in Ukraine to the country’s Foreign Ministry on Monday, according to Ambassador Talat Aliyev.
"Being aware that with regards to Upper Garabagh, there is a situation of international conflict and sharp differences between both officials and private individuals of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Inter TV channel had not planned either to produce or to broadcast a report devoted to the legal, factual and other political status of this territory," Inter’s statement said.
The broadcaster assured that the report was devoted not to the Garabagh conflict "but directly this territory and its inhabitants" and that its format was reporting journalism, i.e., covering the day-to-day lives of the people.
"We were inside the problem, describing not the conflict, which involves sides, but the life of Upper Garabagh in early Dec. 2009. All evaluations, emotions, attitudes reflected in the report belong to them as residents of the territory. Inter TV channel does not share these or any other positions - we just show our audience the way life is in different parts of Ukraine and the world," said the statement.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry is looking into Baku’s protest note, its spokesman Valery Jigun said.
Jigun stressed that Inter is a private TV channel and the points made in its program completely contradict Kyiv’s stance.
"I have not watched the program, but I was told that the footage covered the conflict with only one side’s position. This is unprofessional," the spokesman said.
Jigun said Ukraine’s stance on the Garabagh conflict remains unchanged, and his government supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and a speedy and peaceful settlement of the dispute strictly complying with international law.
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