"For the first time in the 17 years-long break, the Azerbaijani delegation  has overcome the psychological barrier and crossed the separating line between the parties to the Karabakh conflict," Turan information agency reported Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu as saying. Bulbuloghlu’s comments referred to a trip of Azerbaijan's leading intellectuals – a delegation that he headed, which stayed in Nagorno Karabakh as part of joint Armenian-Azeri visits to Yerevan, Baku and the conflict zone. The group of Armenian intelligentsia was headed by the Armenian Ambassador to Russia Armen Smbatian, and the two delegations were received by the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. In Nagorno Karabakh, the delegations visited the cities of Stepanakert (formerly Khankendi) and Shushi (Shusha).

"This proposal was put forth by the Armenian Ambassador to Russia Armen Smbatian. He is a musician, an honored artist, a former Armenian Cultural Minister and my friend, with whom I have worked a lot in the field of culture. And I hope this fateful meeting is only the first step towards new meetings," said Bulbuloglu, according to Turan. 

This information was originally published June 29, 2007 (www.turaninfo.com)