AZERBAIJANI COMMUNITY OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH: ARMENIA’S ATTEMPTS TO USE AIRPORT IN KHANKENDI ARE PROVOCATION
Trend
Nov 10 2011
Azerbaijan
Armenia’s attempts to use the airport in Khankendi are a provocation,
chairman of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh region
of the Azerbaijani Republic Public Association, Bayram Safarov told
media on Thursday.
“There are international laws in civil aviation,” he said. “Without
Azerbaijan’s permission, no one can take advantage of our airspace. I
think that this is a provocation.” He added that a sensible person
will not violate Azerbaijan’s air space.
He complained that the public association has no authority to appeal
to international organisations. Mr Safarov said that the Azerbaijani
government operates in this direction.
“Perhaps, several flights were made from Khankendi airport,” he said.
“However, our people, led by the Supreme Commander, made a protest.
Armenians will fly, but then they will see that they will remain on
the ground.”
The issue of making flights between Yerevan and Khankendi must be
resolved between Armenia and Azerbaijan on a bilateral basis,” press
secretary for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
Denis Chagnon said earlier.
This is a perfectly reasonable and logical position as Khankendi is
the Azerbaijani town, but Yerevan is the Armenian capital.
Night lighting of the 2300 metre long runway which is also 20 metre
wide has been already tested, the Armenian media said.
The airport runway was expanded to enable big aircraft to land. For
the first time it is planned to make flights from the airport in
Khankendi to Yerevan.
In 2008 the Armenians began to build the main airport building. It
was planned to open on May 9 this year. However, for technical reasons
it was postponed for an indefinite time.
It is illegal to construct the airport in the Azerbaijani occupied
territories and to make flights to Khankendi without official Baku’s
permission, the Azerbaijani Civil Aviation Administration said
earlier. Otherwise, official Baku will take measures envisaged by
the legislation, including the physical annihilation.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven 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 and the
surrounding regions.
From: Baghdasarian