“We are at the initial stage of the dialogue process, which is quite difficult, also considering the 35-year conflict, all its emotional layers, and naturally we fully realize that the process is complex,” said Narek Minasyan, a representative of the Armenian delegation, during a press conference held after returning from Baku, then presenting the topics discussed during the meetings.
“The Azerbaijani side emphasized the idea of the dividends of peace — that practical steps must be taken so that the people, the societies of both countries, can feel on their own skin the benefits and results of peace or of the established peace (as it is declared). Negotiations are also underway in this direction regarding various practical programs.
At the same time, the Armenian side, especially during the meeting with Mr. Hajiyev, raised the issue of neutralizing various aggravating factors. Among them is, for example, the sometimes provocative, sometimes problematic rhetoric used by Azerbaijani officials of different levels when speaking about the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization process.
At the same time, in Azerbaijani media we regularly encounter problems related to place names. The latest example was a Russian-language publication by Azertac, where Yerevan was written as ‘Irivan.’ This issue was presented with this specific example. The Azerbaijani side at least agrees with the idea that, yes, greater attention should be paid to this issue — to rhetoric and toponyms — and efforts should be made to reduce the recurrence of such cases as much as possible, as they may negatively affect the normalization process. Regarding Azertac, at least there was a promise that they would speak with the Azerbaijani editorial staff,” he said, noting that such small results are important for moving forward and building an atmosphere of mutual trust.
Narek Minasyan also expressed the opinion that such dialogues create a basis for mutual commitments in the peace process, and that one of the contributions of the peace process may become the resolution of humanitarian issues, especially the return of Armenian prisoners of war.
