On March 1, Russian State Library in Moscow hosted a presentation of the book titled “Karabakh Diary” by Russia’s famous writer, Professor Yuri Pompeyev, based on the memoirs of the author, the Youth Forum of the Organization of the Islamic Conference reported.
The book was published within the Justice for Khojaly campaign, initiated by Leyla Aliyeva, General Coordinator of Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue.
Addressing the event, Leyla Aliyeva appreciated author’s long-term activities to strengthen the Russian-Azerbaijani relations and expressed confidence that this book will form an objective opinion in Russia regarding the causes of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its severe consequences.
“In those difficult times, Yuri Alexanderovich visited the hot spots in the Caucasus, and saw with his own eyes how the separatist movement in Nagorno-Karabakh makes deliberate and sinister attacks on the territorial integrity of not only Azerbaijan, but the whole country, large house, where the destinies of millions of people intertwined,” Leyla Aliyeva said.
Reflecting an interest to historians, political experts and conflict researchers, the “Karabakh Diary” book, written in a historical journalistic genre based on historical documents and author’s personal interviews with political and public figures and journalists involved in the Karabakh conflict, contains an objective analysis of bloody events from the beginning of the conflict.
The book analyzes the activities of backstage forces in the Soviet establishment, in particular the relations of the Armenian lobby with Gorbachov, who gave a boost to conflict, as well as the path that led to the Khojaly massacre in 1992. The book, written from the standpoint of Russia’s intelligentsia, also describes the political struggles of Heydar Aliyev to defend national interests in the period of political disorder, his return to power and activities as President of the Republic to preserve the independence and restore the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
Pompeyev himself shared with participants of the event regarding how the idea of writing this book appeared, and his memories of the Karabakh war and the struggle to break the information blockade around Azerbaijan in early 1990. The author talked about his impressions of large-scale developments in Azerbaijan and the policies by President Ilham Aliyev.
Addressing the event, the Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu noted the importance of publishing the book, and spoke about the policy of the Azerbaijan State, aimed at fair solution of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.
The presentation of the book was also attended by Azerbaijani MPs, employees of the Azerbaijani embassy in Russia during the Karabakh war, as well as representatives of the Moscow intelligentsia.
A photo exhibition was also organized during the event, showing the actions held within the Justice for Khojaly campaign during 2009 in various countries.
The International Awareness Campaign is initiated on 8 May 2008 by Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva, General Coordinator of Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation under the motto of “Justice for Khojaly, Freedom for Karabakh” (www.justiceforkhojaly.org). The Campaign is aimed at raising international civil awareness through demonstration of creative photos and images of suffered people in the Karabakh conflict and Khojaly Massacre in particular and reaching out globally via Media, Internet and Live events.
Trend
