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EURASIANET: AZERBAIJAN BACKING OFF THREATS TO KARABAKH FLIGHTS
February 4, 2013 - 2:54pm, by Joshua Kucera
Nagorno Karabakh
Azerbaijan never had any intention of shooting down flights to
Karabakh, the country's deputy foreign minister has said, in what
appears to be an effort to back away from previous statements
threatening to do just that. From AZE.az:
[Deputy Foreign Minister Araz] Azimov said that Azerbaijan was not
ready to shoot down civilian airplanes, as Armenians and their
supporters are constantly crying.
"In accordance with the Chicago convention, specific rules exist which
are recognized by the Azerbaijani side, which provide for the
prevention of illegal flights and forcing them to land in specific
airports. So it is not true, when someone earlier tried to speculate
that 'Azerbaijan will shoot down civilian flights," Azimov reported.
"The Armenian side, speculating on these questions, attempts to put
pressure on Azerbaijan by conducting these flights to the Khojaly
airport. Recall that these territories are occupied and opening an
illegal air corridor means an occupation of airspace," he said.
A number of Azerbaijani officials have threatened to shoot down
flights landing in Karabakh, from the military to the civil aviation
authority to the cabinet of ministers. While they may not have
specified that they would shoot down civilian flights, given that the
primary purpose of the Karabakh airport is for civilian use, the
message Azerbaijan was attempting to send was clear.
Anyway, it appears that Azerbaijan either has changed its mind about
the usefulness of shooting down civilian flights or, as is more
likely, never intended to do so but thought there may be something to
gain by making such threats. So it's basically the same thing that
happened two years ago.
The whole episode (assuming this is in fact the end of it) looks like
a net negative for Azerbaijan, though, as it's taken attention away
from the fact that most of the international community, including the
OSCE and the U.S., have opposed the opening of the airport. Now, if
the airport does in fact open, the story will be Azerbaijan's threat
to shoot down planes rather than the Armenians' unproductive actions.
Seems like an own goal for Azerbaijani diplomacy.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66503
February 4, 2013 - 2:54pm, by Joshua Kucera
Nagorno Karabakh
Azerbaijan never had any intention of shooting down flights to
Karabakh, the country's deputy foreign minister has said, in what
appears to be an effort to back away from previous statements
threatening to do just that. From AZE.az:
[Deputy Foreign Minister Araz] Azimov said that Azerbaijan was not
ready to shoot down civilian airplanes, as Armenians and their
supporters are constantly crying.
"In accordance with the Chicago convention, specific rules exist which
are recognized by the Azerbaijani side, which provide for the
prevention of illegal flights and forcing them to land in specific
airports. So it is not true, when someone earlier tried to speculate
that 'Azerbaijan will shoot down civilian flights," Azimov reported.
"The Armenian side, speculating on these questions, attempts to put
pressure on Azerbaijan by conducting these flights to the Khojaly
airport. Recall that these territories are occupied and opening an
illegal air corridor means an occupation of airspace," he said.
A number of Azerbaijani officials have threatened to shoot down
flights landing in Karabakh, from the military to the civil aviation
authority to the cabinet of ministers. While they may not have
specified that they would shoot down civilian flights, given that the
primary purpose of the Karabakh airport is for civilian use, the
message Azerbaijan was attempting to send was clear.
Anyway, it appears that Azerbaijan either has changed its mind about
the usefulness of shooting down civilian flights or, as is more
likely, never intended to do so but thought there may be something to
gain by making such threats. So it's basically the same thing that
happened two years ago.
The whole episode (assuming this is in fact the end of it) looks like
a net negative for Azerbaijan, though, as it's taken attention away
from the fact that most of the international community, including the
OSCE and the U.S., have opposed the opening of the airport. Now, if
the airport does in fact open, the story will be Azerbaijan's threat
to shoot down planes rather than the Armenians' unproductive actions.
Seems like an own goal for Azerbaijani diplomacy.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66503