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ARMENIA PM: AZERBAIJAN USES NAGORNO-KARABAKH AIRPORT ISSUE AS "POLITICAL GAMBLING" TOOL
Interfax, Russia
Nov 14 2013
YEREVAN. Nov 14
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has accused Azerbaijan of using
Armenia's planned reopening of the airport of the Nagorno-Karabakh
capital Stepanakert as a source of "political gambling."
"It is important that the issue of reopening the airport in Stepanakert
shouldn't pass into the field of political gambling, something that
Azerbaijan is doing quite aggressively today. We are planning to
achieve this purpose [putting the airport back into use] without
causing tensions," Sargsyan said in answering questions from lawmakers.
Stepanakert airport, built in 1974, hasn't been used for civilian
flights since the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict broke out in 1991 but
was used by military aircraft during its military period in 1991-1994.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in January this year that
the airport would reopen soon, and that "there are no problems"
to preclude this.
In March 2011, he had said he was going to be the first passenger on
the Stepanakert-Yerevan route after the reopening of the airport. "I
will become the first passenger on that route as president of the
Republic of Armenia," he said.
Meanwhile, the Azeri government said it would qualify Armenian civilian
flights to Nagorno-Karabakh as invasion of Azeri air space.
Interfax, Russia
Nov 14 2013
YEREVAN. Nov 14
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has accused Azerbaijan of using
Armenia's planned reopening of the airport of the Nagorno-Karabakh
capital Stepanakert as a source of "political gambling."
"It is important that the issue of reopening the airport in Stepanakert
shouldn't pass into the field of political gambling, something that
Azerbaijan is doing quite aggressively today. We are planning to
achieve this purpose [putting the airport back into use] without
causing tensions," Sargsyan said in answering questions from lawmakers.
Stepanakert airport, built in 1974, hasn't been used for civilian
flights since the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict broke out in 1991 but
was used by military aircraft during its military period in 1991-1994.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in January this year that
the airport would reopen soon, and that "there are no problems"
to preclude this.
In March 2011, he had said he was going to be the first passenger on
the Stepanakert-Yerevan route after the reopening of the airport. "I
will become the first passenger on that route as president of the
Republic of Armenia," he said.
Meanwhile, the Azeri government said it would qualify Armenian civilian
flights to Nagorno-Karabakh as invasion of Azeri air space.