The Voice of Russia
Sept 1 2012

Armenia, Hungary in diplomatic fallout

Natalya Kovalenko

Armenia has severed diplomatic ties with Hungary after that country
released the killer of an Armenian military officer. Street protests
have erupted in Yerevan. Armenia’s armed forces are on heightened
alert.
In 2004, the Armenian officer, Gurgen Markaryan, was axed to death by
an Azeri colleague, Ramil Safarov, as both were attending NATO English
language courses in Budapest. In 2006, a Hungarian court sentenced the
killer to life imprisonment without a possibility of parole. This
Friday, however, Hungary turned him over to Azerbaijan, where he was
immediately granted a presidential pardon.

Dr Azhdar Kurtov is a leading expert at the Russian Institute of
Strategic Studies:

“Being an oil power, Azerbaijan is immensely richer than Armenia. It
successfully uses its oil wealth as a foreign policy instrument.
Hungary, whose economy is often likened to that of Greece, badly needs
financial assistance, and it may be looking to Azerbaijan for rescue
funds.”

Dr Yana Amelina heads the Caucasus sector of the same Institute:

“Severing diplomatic ties is a natural reaction to a development of
this kind. At the same time, it has drawn attention to the
international weakness of Armenia. Yerevan has failed to keep
Safarov’s case in focus, which allowed Hungary to quietly release the
convict.

Many people in Azerbaijan, including senior officials, regard Safarov
as a national hero. His return boosts the country’s morale and
bolsters its international standing. It also weakens the position of
Armenia. Hungary’s decision to release him may also add fuel to the
Azeri-Armenian conflict over Nagorny Karabakh.”

Russian political analyst Dr Vladimir Bruter sees a silver lining for Armenia:

“The Armenian lobby in Western countries can help Armenia gain moral
high ground in the Safarov story and persuade Western governments that
Azerbaijan is not trustworthy. Indeed, the US Department of State has
already criticized Azerbaijan for failing to deliver on its promise to
keep Safarov behind bars, in accordance with the sentence handed down
to him in Hungary.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress