Opening of Stepanakert airport has no political goal – Karabakh official
news.am
November 03, 2012 | 23:09
STEPANAKERT.- Azerbaijan is trying to politicize the opening of
Stepanakert airport, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) President’s
spokesperson said.
Davit Babayan commented for Armenian News-NEWS.am on the recent
statement of State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland on
Stepanakert airport.
`Opening of the airport is not pursuing political goals. NKR
leadership repeatedly stated this. Azerbaijan is doing the opposite,
trying to politicize the issue,’ Babayan said.
Commenting on the State Department representative Victoria Nuland’s
statement saying `the operation of this airport should not be used to
support any claim of change in the status of Nagorno-Karabakh,’
Babayan said the status of Nagorno-Karabakh had been determined long
ago.
`Nagorno-Karabakh has never been a part of independent Azerbaijan,
only a part of Azerbaijan created during the Soviet times,’ he said.
Babayan also recalled that opening of the airport is pursuing peaceful
purposes. `It is a facility which will contribute to development of
the country,’ he noted.
The airport of Stepanakert has been launched but no flights are being
operated. Resumption of airport’s operation provokes hysteria in
Azerbaijan.
Baku is constantly threatening to shoot down the planes flying to
Stepanakert. Such threats directly contradict international law on
civil aviation.
From: A. Papazian