On October 21-22, a bilateral roundtable was held in Yerevan with the participation of representatives of Azerbaijani and Armenian civil societies. One of those representing Azerbaijan at the event was Kəmalə Məmmədova, the editor-in-chief of 1News.az website.
On October 23, Kəmalə Məmmədova answered questions from Medianews.az regarding the trip.
- What was the main topic of discussion at the meeting?
- As you know, on August 8 this year, the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia signed a Joint Declaration in Washington with the witness of the U.S. President. The bilateral meeting of civil society representatives in Yerevan was aimed at promoting the peace agenda of the Joint Declaration. Several issues were raised during the discussions. Topics concerning the societies of the two countries were discussed, mainly normalization of relations, strengthening trust, and humanitarian matters.
- Did the views of the Armenian public representatives align with the position of the Armenian government?
- Yes, in my observation, those positions largely overlapped. At the same time, the views of the representatives of Azerbaijan’s civil society and those of Armenia’s civil society aligned on most issues. I can say that our meetings and discussions took place in a very constructive atmosphere, with everyone’s thoughts directed toward peace.
- Were there individuals among the Armenians participating in the meeting whom you had known for a long time? If so, did you notice any change in their views?
- I had not had prior communication with the members of the Armenian delegation who participated in the meeting. But among the members of our delegation, there were several persons with whom we had been in contact previously.
- There have been many similar roundtables so far. But they have been almost formal in nature. Are you sure that this meeting was not of a formal nature?
- Yes, there have been many roundtables and meetings. However, they were held through the initiative and organization of a third party. Our meeting was the first of its kind held in this format without a third party, solely on the initiative, organization, and participation of the representatives of the civil societies themselves. The state structures of both countries supported this meeting. But note again, we are talking about the support of the state structures of the two countries, not a third country. Therefore, it would be wrong to consider this meeting a formal matter. Moreover, this first meeting in this format will not remain the only one. Continuation of contacts between civil societies is planned.
- You also met with Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia. What can you say about that meeting?
- That meeting also took place in a constructive atmosphere. We conveyed our position. We mainly raised issues concerning strengthening mutual trust. We addressed certain questions and received answers. Armen Grigoryan highly appreciated the bilateral communication between civil society representatives.
- Is it known where and when the next meeting will be held?
- The next meeting is planned in Baku. The exact date has not been set yet. But we hope these meetings will be continuous.
Nailə Qasımova,
Medianews.az
