Russia is only country involved in resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in president's level: Azerbaijani official

APA’s interview with Fuad Akhundov, an official responsible for political studies and analysis at Azerbaijani Presidential Administration’s Socio-Political Department and head of the Azerbaijani delegation to European and Asian Media Forum in Moscow.

What is the main aim of the Azerbaijani delegation’s participation in this forum? How do you assess the importance of this event?

I appreciate deeply this forum. Exactly for this reason Azerbaijan participates in the forum. Despite the remarks that there is no Russian-language area, such an area do exist. We all are living in a unique information area, and when, roughly speaking, business captains – heads of media outlets make speeches, much depends on them, mainly how the outline of the information space will be tomorrow, in the near future and later on.

I said while delivering speech that Russia is the only country that takes very active part on the presidential level in resolving  Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Russian President meets both with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. Therefore, I would advise all business captains to make a pause in Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, create conditions for the nations to reach agreement, pay attention to their intonation. My view was approved, behind the scenes discussions heads of Russian media outlets said it was a right approach – conditions should be created for the nations to reach agreement.

The State Duma, ten days later the Public Chamber organized roundtables for Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian intellectuals and media. That’s why we should attend this forum, demonstrate will and meet. We are received and understood here. We are understood here, they understand that it high time to put an end to this conflict. This is not the 80s, 90s. Some media outlets should calm down.

I’ve compiled facts here and on the basis of these facts, I propose to declare some persons working in media persona non-grata. I am often asked what I mean when I say this - Must they be dismissed from a job? I answer, no. Simply, heads of media organizations should tell them there is no place for them in the office, because they incite international hostility. There is a freedom of speech in the country, but there is no place for you in my trusted agency or in other mass media. I think we should put it into practice.

We all witnessed completely nonobjective anti-Azerbaijan hysterics by Russia’s “Regnum” agency. What should be done to get rid of such cases?

You have given a name of the agency we have already had in our list. This agency is engaged in such works. We will take measures in this respect. You are quite right. “Regnum” agency is also among such media organizations. Moreover, we can name “REN” TV Channel, which has recently prepared and aired unprofessional program aggravating international hostility. Such facts can be observed in other media organizations.

How do you evaluate Russian President Dmitry Medevedev’s speech at the forum?

I think the Russian president’s speech was concrete enough. He made speech not like the president, but like a colleague of journalists and I liked it so much. Note that Dmitry Medvedev even created his own blog and posted a vivid journal in this blog, where the people may not only write, but also chat with each other. As I know, no one else has taken such step except him. I found his speech substantial and positive.

/APA/