Today, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hikmet Hajiyev, announced that prior to its journalist’s visit to Nagorno-Karabakh, BBC had applied with a letter to them informing about this visit. BBC News correspondent Rayhan Demytrie visited Nagorno-Karabakh and to prepare a report about the lifestyle and problems of the people living there. As reported by Azernews.az site, Hajiyev had stated that the BBC has asked for its correspondent to allowed implementing her professional activities. “Though some episodes of her prepared report are controversial, we, based on the principles of Azerbaijan’s law and freedom of the press, respect the journalist’s professional activities,” said the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman in particular.
Responding to the statement made by Hikmet Hajiyev, in the conversation with Aravot.am, the Nagorno-Karabakh Foreign Ministry’s Media Department reported that only the accreditations issued by the Nagorno-Karabakh have a legal force in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. “If the journalists are willing to conduct professional activities in Nagorno-Karabakh, they should apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and receive appropriate accreditation. Journalistic credentials issued by third countries are not taken into account in Nagorno-Karabakh. ”
Hikmet Hajiyev also said that the Nagorno-Karabakh government authorities have rejected the application submitted by the journalist to prepare a report and has explained it by the presence of fear. The NKR Foreign Ministry responded to this assertion that the BBS journalist had applied to the NKR Foreign Ministry requesting a permit to perform professional activities in the territory of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. “After which, the NKR MFA Information and Public Relations Department has issued a respective certificate to the journalist to perform her professional activities in the territory of NKR. The publication of the report on the BBC website, which also includes an excerpt from the interview with the NKR Minister of Foreign Affairs, already is an evidence of such statement by Azerbaijan being unsubstantiated.”
Ashot ISRAELYAN
