Your trusted source

Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu stated during his official visit to Baku that opening of the airport of Stepanakert will negatively affect the peaceful settlement of the NKR conflict.

Panorama.am interviewed expert Tigran Abrahamyan over the issue.

-Can airport construction negatively affect the peaceful settlement of the NKR conflict?
-“It was clear that construction and opening of an airport in Artsakh would not be welcomed by Baku and Ankara. Even more, any progress in Artsakh, be it in economy or social sphere, would naturally bring to such reaction in that country. Whatever, the main reason of the clamor our eastern and western neighbors raised about the airport construction was its military significance, which will, surely, make the Artsakh grow more dynamically.
Turkey is a leader in overthrowing the political processes and interfering others problems. Surely, the disposition of Turkey is not based on objective reality but is one of the Turkish – Azerbaijani propaganda theses. Artsakh people just like any other people (it doesn’t matter whether it is recognized republic or not) has the right to live a dignified life and to realize its rights completely.

-The official representative of the Azerbaijani MFA stated that withdrawal of the Armenian troops from the “occupied territories” will herald the beginning of the settlement of NKR conflict. How would you comment on this statement?
-The principles and elements that are at the base of the NKR conflict settlement process are one entity and concentration on one of those principles or elements will leave a negative effect on the negotiation process of the conflict settlement. From that point of view the statements made by the representative of the Azerbaijani MFA are not perceptible.

-In the final resolution adopted by the International Organization of La Francophonie was specifically mentioned about the inadmissibility of the use of force or the threat of using it. What is it conditioned by?
-Azerbaijan continually states that he will solve the issue by military means if needed, even more, the official Baku doesn’t save money for buying weapons. The solution through military means does not correspond to the interests of the mediatory countries and is not perceptible by the international community. The xenophobic policy implemented by the Azerbaijani against the Armenians is a threat for the security of the people of Artsakh. From this point of view, the international organization reminds and warns about its perceptions of peaceful settlement of the conflict.