During a concluding press conference in Tsaghkadzor following the third forum of the Peace Bridge initiative, coordinator Areg Kochinyan addressed meetings between representatives of Armenian and Azerbaijani civil societies and responded to criticism, Aysor.am reports.
He noted that the initiative is often accused of attempting to erase the past or push collective pain into oblivion.
“Very often we are told that we are trying to erase the past, make people forget the pain, or edit history. It is important to state that we have never set such a goal for ourselves. We are not trying to consign our history, our disagreements, or the pain that exists in both our society and theirs to oblivion. The purpose of this format, alongside carrying that entire burden, is also to shape projects that serve the peace agenda — through discussions, a positive agenda and attempts to resolve existing problems,” he said.
According to Kochinyan, the idea of organizing a meeting via a land border crossing emerged within the framework of the initiative itself during expert discussions.
“It was during the discussion that the idea was born for the next meeting to take place by crossing the border by land, and representatives of both countries welcomed it and made it a reality,” he said, emphasizing that the events were organized with the direct support of the governments of both countries, including financial backing.
On February 13-14, a bilateral roundtable was held in Armenia within the framework of the “Peace Bridge” initiative, bringing together representatives of civil societies from Armenia and Azerbaijan. In addition to the core participants of the initiative, a broader group from both sides was also involved in the discussions.
The Azerbaijani delegation arrived in Armenia through a delimited and demarcated section of the border, completing all required procedures. The step was described as an important practical advance aimed at strengthening mutual trust between the two countries.
