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"THE STEPANAKERT AIRPORT WILL OPERATE", SAYS HEAD OF NKR CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT
ARMINFO
Monday, January 21, 11:32
"The Stepanakert Airport must be put into operation and we will make
flights despite anything. We are civil aviation and we work to ensure
the people's right of free movement stipulated by the International
Law," says Dmitry Atbashyan, Head of the NKR Civil Aviation Department,
commenting on the Azerbaijani Government's decision to hit the Armenian
planes flying from Nagorno Karabakh.
ArmInfo's correspondent to Stepanakert cites Dmitry Atbashyan as
saying: "Azerbaijan is well aware that our stance is in harmony with
the International Law and we can make it to reckon with the given
fact with help of the international organizations."
Atbashyan said that the Stepanakert Airport is ready for exploitation.
It is equipped in line with the up-to- date requirements and has
highly qualified staff and personnel. The airport has a certificate of
compliance with the international standards. However, Atbashyan did
not announce the date of the first flight. Earlier Prime Minister of
NKR Ara Haroutiunyan said that technical flights will be launched at
the Stepanakert Airport shortly and will continue for several months.
In Nov 2012 Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) Foreign Minister Karen
Mirzoyan sent a letter to the United Nations General Assembly and
Security Council in which he called on the international organization
to assist in the operation of the Stepanakert Airport. Below is the
text of the letter obtained from Artsakh Foreign Ministry.
The operation of the Stepanakert airport is the sovereign right of the
NKR and pursues solely civilian and humanitarian objectives, including
the realization of such a basic human right as freedom of movement.
Freedom of movement of the civilian population of the NKR alongside
with other human rights outlined in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and other core international bodies have already been
continuously and vehemently undermined by the ongoing Azerbaijani
blockade. This stance of Azerbaijan is a clear manifestation of its
recklesst disregard for human rights and fundamental freedoms as
a continuation of its policy of collective punishment of civilian
population.
The threats of Azerbaijan to shoot down civil aircrafts in particular,
violates the provisions of the Chicago Convention on International
Civil Aviation and runs counter to the commitments undertaken in the
framework of the negotiation process mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chair states, to reject any threat or use of force against civil
aircraft, pursue the matter through diplomatic steps, and refrain
from politicizing the issue.
Such threats, along with the statements on the highest level declaring
all Armenians of the world as enemy number one of Azerbaijan are
a vivid example of the long-established anti-Armenian hysteria
and xenophobia of the Azeri state policy. The pardon and nationwide
glorification of Ramil Safarov, Azerbaijani officer, who was convicted
to the life imprisonment in Hungary for perpetuating brutal hate crime,
a manslaughter, is the most shocking yet just recent manifestation
of this policy. In this context, my Government considers the steps
taken by the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in particular
declarations on undertaking "all necessary measures" in order to
prevent the functioning of the Stepanakert Airport along with previous
threats to shoot down civil planes as irresponsible and politically
charged actions.
From: A. Papazian
ARMINFO
Monday, January 21, 11:32
"The Stepanakert Airport must be put into operation and we will make
flights despite anything. We are civil aviation and we work to ensure
the people's right of free movement stipulated by the International
Law," says Dmitry Atbashyan, Head of the NKR Civil Aviation Department,
commenting on the Azerbaijani Government's decision to hit the Armenian
planes flying from Nagorno Karabakh.
ArmInfo's correspondent to Stepanakert cites Dmitry Atbashyan as
saying: "Azerbaijan is well aware that our stance is in harmony with
the International Law and we can make it to reckon with the given
fact with help of the international organizations."
Atbashyan said that the Stepanakert Airport is ready for exploitation.
It is equipped in line with the up-to- date requirements and has
highly qualified staff and personnel. The airport has a certificate of
compliance with the international standards. However, Atbashyan did
not announce the date of the first flight. Earlier Prime Minister of
NKR Ara Haroutiunyan said that technical flights will be launched at
the Stepanakert Airport shortly and will continue for several months.
In Nov 2012 Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) Foreign Minister Karen
Mirzoyan sent a letter to the United Nations General Assembly and
Security Council in which he called on the international organization
to assist in the operation of the Stepanakert Airport. Below is the
text of the letter obtained from Artsakh Foreign Ministry.
The operation of the Stepanakert airport is the sovereign right of the
NKR and pursues solely civilian and humanitarian objectives, including
the realization of such a basic human right as freedom of movement.
Freedom of movement of the civilian population of the NKR alongside
with other human rights outlined in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and other core international bodies have already been
continuously and vehemently undermined by the ongoing Azerbaijani
blockade. This stance of Azerbaijan is a clear manifestation of its
recklesst disregard for human rights and fundamental freedoms as
a continuation of its policy of collective punishment of civilian
population.
The threats of Azerbaijan to shoot down civil aircrafts in particular,
violates the provisions of the Chicago Convention on International
Civil Aviation and runs counter to the commitments undertaken in the
framework of the negotiation process mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chair states, to reject any threat or use of force against civil
aircraft, pursue the matter through diplomatic steps, and refrain
from politicizing the issue.
Such threats, along with the statements on the highest level declaring
all Armenians of the world as enemy number one of Azerbaijan are
a vivid example of the long-established anti-Armenian hysteria
and xenophobia of the Azeri state policy. The pardon and nationwide
glorification of Ramil Safarov, Azerbaijani officer, who was convicted
to the life imprisonment in Hungary for perpetuating brutal hate crime,
a manslaughter, is the most shocking yet just recent manifestation
of this policy. In this context, my Government considers the steps
taken by the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in particular
declarations on undertaking "all necessary measures" in order to
prevent the functioning of the Stepanakert Airport along with previous
threats to shoot down civil planes as irresponsible and politically
charged actions.
From: A. Papazian