Azerbaijan, Baku, 5 Dec / Trend corr I. Alizade / There is no need for Azerbaijanis residing in the Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh to function as a community or public organization.
"Armenians are densely populated in Nagorno-Karabakh and they can form there an Armenian community with Azerbaijan. But it is not logical to form an Azerbaijani community within Azerbaijan itself," Elman Mammadov, co-founder of public association Azerbaijani Community in Nagorno Karabakh and MP representing Khojali city of the region, told Trend on 5 Dec.
Nizami Bahmanov,
head of the Azerbaijani Community in Nagorno Karabakh, died on 13 Sep 2008.
Bamanov was also the head of the Shusha District Executive Committee. The
both posts still remain unoccupied.
In October 2006, the Justice Ministry registered the Azerbaijani Community in
Nagorno Karabakh led by Bahmanov. The founders of the community are Bahramov
and MPs from Nagorno-Karabakh - Elman Mammadov and Havva Mammadova.
"Azerbaijanis residing in foreign countries can form a community such as Azerbaijani community in Georgia or in Russia. However, Nagorno-Karabakh is the territory of Azerbaijan and no Azerbaijani community should exist there," Mammadov added.
Mammadov said that as Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Province does not exist, it should not have any Azerbaijani community either.
"We enjoy the same status as Azerbaijanis residing in other places of the country. Why should we form a community then? It is nonsense. I see no need for this community," Mammadov said.
According to Mammadov, Azerbaijanis and Armenians cannot form any community unless Nagorno-Karabakh gets status within Azerbaijan.
"The negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia are underway and the communities do not attend this process. The formation of the community will be discussed as long as the negotiations reach the stage when requiring the joining of Azerbaijanis and Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh to this process," Mammadov said.
Mammadov said that the discussions over appointment of the new chairman to the community remain are still to take place.
Have you feedback? Contact our journalist at: [email protected]
