July 11, 2006 - 16:08 AMT
Politicians Large Obstacle for Armenian-Azeri Dialogue
The work on establishment of peace between peoples should be done by politicians. Public dialogue is necessary - it is half the success on the way to peace, but just politicians are the largest obstacle on the way to dialogue between Armenians and Azeris, Azeri publicist and journalist Alekper Aliyev stated in a conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, the anti-Armenian hysteria in Azerbaijan can be explained by Baku losing the Karabakh war.

«The winner is always condescending - maybe this is why there is no hysteria in Armenia similar to that in Azerbaijan. We have Leader TV channel, which is authority leaning, and you can never hear of xenophobia, anti-Armenian moods or military hysteria on it. However, there are media, who each day propagate the enemy image,» he remarked.

Aliyev also remarked that if politicians want a war, let them fight. In his words, militant statements of top officials can result in nothing good. «Leave the peoples alone, stop fearing peoples' diplomacy. If the state is afraid of its people, it means it does not trust it. As for bans for trips to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, the sole structures, who can prevent me from travelling are the President, MFA and the Ministry of National Security,» he said.