APA, Azerbaijan
March 25 2015


Journalist who illegally visited Nagorno Karabakh: It seems that I
won't be further allowed to enter Azerbaijan - INTERVIEW

[ 25 March 2015 15:47 ]

Alexander Kolesnichenko: I will familiarize myself with the
requirements of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry in case of visiting
Nagorno Karabakh again

Moscow. Farid Akberov - APA. Interview of journalist of Russia's
"Argumenty i fakti" newspaper Alexander Kolesnichenko, who paid
illegal visits to Azerbaijani occupied territory - Nagorno Karabakh,
with APA's Moscow correspondent



- You have recently paid an illegal visit to the Azerbaijani occupied
territory - Nagorno Karabakh within the media forum held in Armenia.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has announced that it will take
appropriate measures against the journalists paying illegal visit to
Nagorno-Karabakh. You can be included in the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry's "blacklist". How would you comment on the matter?



- I wanted to see with my own eyes the living conditions of the people
living under the threat of a resumption of the conflict, their hopes,
how they established their own lives, how they see the future of their
children and the economic situation in the region. I accepted the
local authorities' invitation that was the only way of visiting
unrecognized republic.



- Did you know that persons paying illegal visits to Nagorno Karabakh
are included in the "blacklist" in Azerbaijan?



- Yes, I was partially informed about it. I read about news on
Montserrat Caballé.



- You said that you wanted to see the living conditions of the people
in Nagorno Karabakh, economic situation in the region with your own
eyes. But, what about the fates of 1 million people, who became
refugees and internally displaced persons as a result of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, are you interested in them? Don't you want
to see the living conditions of those people with your own eyes?



- Of course, I want to see the living conditions of Azerbaijani
refugees and IDPs. It seems that I won't be further allowed to enter
Azerbaijan



- So being aware of it, why did you take this step? You would have
appealed to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry regarding your desire of
visiting Nagorno Karabakh.



- This visit was organized very quickly. I will familiarize myself
with the requirements of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry in case of
visiting Nagorno Karabakh again.


http://en.apa.az/news/224754


From: Baghdasarian