Azerbaijan’s representatives are not participating in the Caucasus 2009 international conference, Alexander Iskandaryan, the director of Caucasus Institute, said at the opening ceremony. He noted that the Azerbaijani expert did not arrive in Yerevan for reasons beyond his power.

The domestic political situation in the neighboring country accounts for the Azerbaijani expert’s absence from the conference, Iskandaryan stated.

He also said the Azeri expert was to present a report on the situation in Azerbaijan in 2009.

May 21, the opening ceremony of the Caucasus 2009 international conference took place in Yerevan. Political experts, journalists and politicians from Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Russia and some European states will discuss political, economic and social events in the North and South Caucasus in 2009.

The conference, organized by the Caucasus Institute, is part of the EU-sponsored program of enhancing the potential of political discussions in Armenia. The conference is being held with the assistance of the Swiss Foundation for Development and International Cooperation, as well as Heinrich Boll Foundation.

A.G.