Idea to open flight between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh purely of political nature – analyst
By Sara Rajabova
Delay in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the lack of progress in the mediating efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs is an issue of concern for Azerbaijani officials and political analysts.
Frequent statements by the Armenian side over the opening of flights to the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan that has long been occupied by Armenian troops further negatively affect the conflict settlement process.
"It is clear that the idea of opening a flight between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh has a purely political nature," head of the Center for Political Innovations and Technologies, political analyst Mubariz Ahmadoglu says. "Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan even admitted this during his election campaign."
"Armenians refer to the right of free movement, while the Azerbaijanis driven out of Nagorno-Karabakh are not allowed to visit their native lands. This is the best exmple of double standards," Ahmadoglu said.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has said it will not provide permission for such flights without the approval of Azerbaijan.
About 70,000-80,000 people live in Nagorno-Karabakh and 50,000 of them are local Armenians. It is questionable whether there is a need of a flight for such a number of residents. The social and economic condition of the population does not allow them to use the flights. For the "government" of Nagorno-Karabakh the main thing is to prevent the escape of the Armenians from Karabakh, the analyst concluded.
Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenia's withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.
A precarious cease-fire was signed in 1994. However, units of the Armenian armed forces commit armistice breaches on the frontline almost every day.
Armenian media frequently reports that the Khojaly airport in Nagorno-Karabakh is to be commissioned in the near future.
Recently, Chief of the General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia Artyom Movsisyan said that this body will allow civil aircraft to fly to the occupied territory of Azerbaijan.
According to Movsisyan, flights will be carried out on board 19-seat Armenian planes. He declined to disclose dates.
Earlier, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated that commissioning of the airport is an open violation of the Convention on International Civil Aviation adopted on December 7, 1944 in Chicago.
Besides, Azerbaijan's Civil Aviation Administration recently condemned Armenia over the statement on the opening of flights from Yerevan to Khankendi and vice versa, saying these actions are not in line with international law.
Azerbaijan has banned the use of airspace of its Armenian-occupied territory Nagorno-Karabakh, as no one can guarantee the safety of the area.
The International Civil Aviation Organization and European Civil Aviation Conference support Azerbaijan's position on the issue. Document No.121 on airports of the ICAO cited the Khojaly airport as property of Azerbaijan.
International flights from the Khojaly airport, constructed in 1978, were prohibited after the occupation of territories by Armenia. The Khojaly airport, which has been registered in international organizations with the name UB13, is a facility with military purposes.