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Baltic News Service / - BNS
September 18, 2012 Tuesday 12:20 PM EET
Murder by Safarov can't be glorified, it undermines trust - Lithuanian
def min tells Azerbaijan's minister
VILNIUS, Sep 18, BNS - Lithuania's Defense Minister Rasa Jukneviciene
says that she told the visiting Azerbaijani Defense Minister
Lieutenant Colonel Safar Abiyev on Monday that the murder committed by
Azerbaijani solder Ramif Safarov should not be glorified. Safarov
killed an Armenian officer with an axe and was recently pardoned for
this crime in his country.
"We had a very open conversation, it was just the two of us. I raised
the question about the amnesty of Azerbaijan's officer Ramil Safarov.
We exchanged opinions. My position was very clear - I expressed
concern with the decision to pardon a person who committed a crime.
Murder cannot be glorified. This undermined mutual trust and can
affect the peace process, which is being developed to resolve the
differences between Armenia and Azerbaijan," Jukneviciene told BNS on
Tuesday.
In her words, it is crucial to maintain a dialogue on these matters to
enable "our friends know our position."
"It would be dangerous, if such matters impeded Lithuania's relations
with Azerbaijan and other countries in South Caucasus. The Caucasian
direction is very important for us. This has to do with our own safety
- the development of the peace process in Caucasus. Therefore, a
dialogue is needed, and the conversation took place," the defense
minister said.
"We should look at the future, evaluate and clarify the mistakes and
state opinions. However, I do not think we should pour oil in the
flames of some third countries, which would benefit from seeing
Lithuania turning its back on the Caucasian countries," she added,
when asked whether Azerbaijan's actions in connection to Safarov would
affect the country's military cooperation with Lithuania.
On Aug. 31, Hungary handed over to Baku Safarov who had been sentenced
to life imprisonment in Budapest without the right to be pardoned. He
killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian, 30, at a Budapest military
academy in 2004.
Nevertheless, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev pardoned him the same
day after he was extradited.
September 18, 2012 Tuesday 12:20 PM EET
Murder by Safarov can't be glorified, it undermines trust - Lithuanian
def min tells Azerbaijan's minister
VILNIUS, Sep 18, BNS - Lithuania's Defense Minister Rasa Jukneviciene
says that she told the visiting Azerbaijani Defense Minister
Lieutenant Colonel Safar Abiyev on Monday that the murder committed by
Azerbaijani solder Ramif Safarov should not be glorified. Safarov
killed an Armenian officer with an axe and was recently pardoned for
this crime in his country.
"We had a very open conversation, it was just the two of us. I raised
the question about the amnesty of Azerbaijan's officer Ramil Safarov.
We exchanged opinions. My position was very clear - I expressed
concern with the decision to pardon a person who committed a crime.
Murder cannot be glorified. This undermined mutual trust and can
affect the peace process, which is being developed to resolve the
differences between Armenia and Azerbaijan," Jukneviciene told BNS on
Tuesday.
In her words, it is crucial to maintain a dialogue on these matters to
enable "our friends know our position."
"It would be dangerous, if such matters impeded Lithuania's relations
with Azerbaijan and other countries in South Caucasus. The Caucasian
direction is very important for us. This has to do with our own safety
- the development of the peace process in Caucasus. Therefore, a
dialogue is needed, and the conversation took place," the defense
minister said.
"We should look at the future, evaluate and clarify the mistakes and
state opinions. However, I do not think we should pour oil in the
flames of some third countries, which would benefit from seeing
Lithuania turning its back on the Caucasian countries," she added,
when asked whether Azerbaijan's actions in connection to Safarov would
affect the country's military cooperation with Lithuania.
On Aug. 31, Hungary handed over to Baku Safarov who had been sentenced
to life imprisonment in Budapest without the right to be pardoned. He
killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian, 30, at a Budapest military
academy in 2004.
Nevertheless, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev pardoned him the same
day after he was extradited.