Lord Russell Johnston planning to visit Karabakh conflict region early November

PanARMENIAN.Net - Head of the PACE Ad Hoc Committee on Nagorno Karabakh, Lord Russell Johnston intends to take a trip to the region early November. "If terms of the visit fit the schedule of the Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents, I may be in Baku on 9 November, but that is not yet confirmed," Lord Russell Johnston told reporters in Strasbourg Thursday.



"I do not regard my committee as being concerned to mediate on Nagorno Karabakh. The idea was that we would try and improve contact and dialogue particularly in the first place between Azeri and Armenian parliamentarians, possibly to hold seminars in Baku and Yerevan. And try to improve the relationship," he said.



Despite all efforts, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution will depend on Kocharian and Aliyev anyway, according to him.



He voiced regret over the cancellation of the regional visit of PACE rapporteur on cultural heritage, Edward O'Hara. "I told Milli Mejlis Speaker Asadov that I regretted the fact that the visits planned both by my committee and the cultural committee had been cancelled at a short notice. But I hope that the situation could be reasonably resolved," he said.



"The Council of Europe is also concerned naturally about internal policies in both Azerbaijan and Armenia. Azerbaijan is fortunate in having huge economic growth but that should not lead it to neglect basic democratic questions. Our main concern is about the political prisoners, some of them are very old and sick. And also journalists' freedom. There were seven journalists imprisoned recently," Lord Russell Johnston said, Trend news agency reports.