Azeri journalists visit Khankandi, Shusha

5 Azeri journalists traveled to Khankandi and Shusha on July 26-30 as part of the project of the Baku and Yerevan press clubs, according to the chairman of the "Yeni Nasil" Union of Journalists Mr. Arif Aliyev.

The 6-month project, launched in February, calls for a monitoring of Garabagh-related media materials, opinion study of political leaders and statesmen in regard to ways of resolving the conflict and public opinion polls. Results of the surveys will be drawn in late August and made public in September.

Mr. Aliyev said Azeri journalists had handed out questionnaires containing 25 questions among the Garabagh population. After being filled out, the questionnaires will be sent to Baku. According to him, there are only 5 state-owned newspapers in Upper Garabagh, local television broadcasts 1.5 hours a day, the quality of AzTV broadcasts leaves much to be desired, independent Azeri television channels are not televised at all, while the population watches only Armenian TV.

Initially, meetings were scheduled with the leader of the so-called Upper Garabagh republic A. Gukasian and foreign minister of the self-proclaimed republic N. Melkumian, but only the latter agreed to talk to Azeri journalists. A video footage shot in Khankandi and Shusha was demonstrated to the participants of the news conference. According to eyewitnesses, the situation in Shusha and Lachin is extremely difficult, with Lachin almost empty as only one of 15-20 apartment buildings is populated.