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BAKU: Azeris blast British peer for organizing sporting events in NK

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  • BAKU: Azeris blast British peer for organizing sporting events in NK

    Azeris blast British peer for organizing sporting events in separatist
    Karabakh

    Ekho, Baku
    3 Dec 04


    Excerpt from T. Tushiyev's report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 3
    December headlined "Karabakh separatists 'mark' the International Day
    for Disabled Persons in their own way"

    The Karabakh separatists, who are noted for being "active", have
    failed to mark peacefully 3 December, the International Day for
    Disabled Persons. This time they organized a competition-festival for
    the disabled below 18. The separatists intend to conduct competitions
    in table tennis, chess and other sports. It is not known yet whether
    disabled sportsmen from other countries have been invited. The
    activities are organized by "the ministry of social security of the
    Nagornyy Karabakh republic" (quotation marks have been inserted by us
    here and throughout - author) and the Xankandi-based rehabilitation
    centre named after the deputy speaker of the British House of Lords,
    Caroline Cox.

    This is not the first time that the representative of the British
    parliament is providing support for Nagornyy Karabakh's separatist
    regime. This is confirmed by the spokesman for the Ministry of Youth,
    Sports and Tourism, Raqif Abbasov, who criticizes Baroness Caroline
    Cox for her organizational support.

    "We will express our indignation to the British embassy in Baku. Such
    activities held on the territory of Azerbaijan by the unrecognized
    separatist regime and supported by a representative of the British
    parliament are outrageous. We are going to find out whether disabled
    sportsmen from other countries have been invited to this festival and
    if this is confirmed, we will take urgent measures to ensure that the
    international community condemns and does not recognize such
    actions. Let me assure you that any attempt to 'push' such events to
    the international level is doomed to failure. The same happened to
    Armenia's attempts to secure international status for a chess
    tournament organized in March this year in memory of former world
    champion Tigran Petrosyan. The same outcome is in store for other
    attempts by the separatists," Raqif Abbasov told Ekho.

    [Passage omitted: background information]

    The reaction of the head of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's press
    service, Matin Mirza, was a little more reserved.

    "Before we start taking any measures, it is first of all necessary to
    find out whether representatives of other countries are taking part in
    this event. If they are, we will certainly take decisive measures to
    condemn this as yet another provocation on the part of the
    Armenians. Otherwise, as long as these lands are controlled by the
    Nagornyy Karabakh separatists, we can't prevent this from
    happening. As for the participation of Baroness Caroline Cox, this is
    not the first time that she has organized such activities for the
    Armenian side. This is her private initiative and the British
    government is not taking part in this," Matin Mirza said.
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