CoE Sec. Gen. welcomes visits of Armenian and Azeri intellectuals to Stepanakert, Yerevan and Baku

PanARMENIAN.Net - "I welcome the joint visit of representatives from Armenian and Azerbaijani intelligentsia to the conflict zone," Secretary of General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis stated. He said, he welcomes contacts and exchanges on the level of civil society as one of the shortest ways to restore confidence between Armenia and Azerbaijan, "Who else but the representatives of intelligentsia must make the first steps and lead the public opinion in this high-minded case?" Terry Davis particularly thanked the initiators of the visit and expressed hope that contacts between the two nations will more and more successfully develop in future, APA reports.



On June 28 the Azerbaijani delegation crossed a mine-free portion of the contact line between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan on the Martakert-Terter (Mir Bashir) highway. Representatives from Karabakh met the Azeri delegation in the positions of NKR Defense Army and accompanied them to Stepanakert. Also another delegation of intellectuals from Armenia arrived in the NKR capital at the head of Armenia's Ambassador to Russia Armen Smbatyan. Both ambassadors initiated the visit to NKR. Then representatives of Armenian and Azeri intelligentsia departed for Yerevan, where they met President Robert Kocharian. The same evening cultural workers and scientists from both countries departed for Baku. In the Azeri capital President Ilham Aliev hosted the delegation.