Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anna Naghdalyan confirmed on Saturday an exchange of visits by Armenian and Azerbaijani journalists under the coordination of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
YEREVAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd November, 2019) Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anna Naghdalyan confirmed on Saturday an exchange of visits by Armenian and Azerbaijani journalists under the coordination of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)."From November 17 to 21, exchange of journalists took place: media representatives from Armenia and Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] visited Azerbaijan, while media representatives from Azerbaijan visited Armenia and Artsakh," Naghdalyan said in a statement posted on the ministry's website.
The spokeswoman added that the exchange was prepared and implemented under the direct supervision of the OSCE chairman's personal representative and the participation of relevant agencies of Armenia, Karabakh and Azerbaijan.
In February 1988, the overwhelmingly Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh autonomy expressed will to leave the Soviet Azerbaijani Republic citing its right for self-determination under Soviet law and proclaimed independence in 1991. Azerbaijan, in retaliation, launched an offensive and lost control over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and several other areas around it.
Since 1992, peace in Nagorno-Karabakh has been mediated by the OSCE Minsk group. Azerbaijan insists on retaining its territorial integrity, while the interests of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which is not an official party to negotiations, are represented by Armenia. In 1994, a ceasefire agreement was reached. However, occasional shelling and clashes on the border have been ongoing, with a major escalation in April 2016.
