Azernews.Az

Any move to reopen Khojaly airport would undoubtedly have a negative impact on peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan being held under the aegis of the OSCE Minsk Group, which have reached a critical phase, British MP Mark Field, Member of the Parliamentary Join Committee on Intelligence and Security said commenting on Armenia's illegal plans for Khojaly airport, European Azerbaijan Society reported.

"Given the symbolism associated with Khojaly, such a move could even derail the peace talks completely," Field said.

One of the most tragic events of the 20th century, which was a gross violation of human rights, occurred during the Karabakh war in 1992 in Khojaly. 613 people were killed, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 elderly people, on February 26, 1992 during the attack on the town. A total of 1,000 civilians were disabled during the mass killings. Eight families were annihilated, 130 children lost one parent, and 25 lost both. Also, 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 remains unknown.

Earlier, Armenian media reported on the commissioning of the airport at Khojaly in the near future.

Commissioning the airport is an open violation of the Convention on International Civil Aviation [adopted on December 7, 1944 in Chicago], the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported earlier. In this regard, Azerbaijan will strengthen the legal level use of the application of the Chicago convention.

Azerbaijan banned the use of the airspace over Nagorno-Karabakh occupied by Armenia, as no one can guarantee a safe air corridor in the area, the head of the Azerbaijani Civil Aviation Administration, Arif Mammadov said earlier.

He said Armenia's steps towards the operation of the airport are attempts to violate international aviation law. This air space belongs to Azerbaijan, so its use by Armenia is illegal.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Civil Aviation Conference (ICAC) also support the position of Azerbaijan on this issue.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.