I would like to highlight two points from our meeting in Tsaghkadzor. One is that both sides freely discussed the humanitarian issues that concern them; in our case, of course, this was the issue of prisoners, said Naira Sultanyan, Director of the Democracy Development Foundation and a participant in the 'Bridge of Peace' initiative, at a press conference.
“I would like to emphasize again that this group does not have the authority to influence processes in any way, but it does have the opportunity to shape public opinion. Therefore, once again we tried to explain to our Azerbaijani partners why the presence of prisoners in Baku does not fit into the logic of the current peace processes. They, for their part, also raised humanitarian issues — the maps of mined areas, the issue of Azerbaijanis missing during the war of the 1990s — and we, as you understand, do not have clear answers, but we are mutually trying to understand and clarify certain information,” Sultanyan noted.
She emphasized that for both societies the process is moving very quickly, and people on both sides are struggling to digest these developments.
“Both sides complain that they cannot keep up with the political processes. But we noted that usually in history the opposite happens — when societies are ready but political processes move slowly; now we have the opportunity to move forward at an equal, if not faster, pace,” Naira Sultanyan said.
