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ABSENCE FROM NATO EVENT DUE TO BAKU'S FAILURE TO GUARANTEE SECURITY, ARMENIAN MP
Ayots Ashkhar, Yerevan
26 Nov 04
Excerpt from Vaan Vardanyan report by Armenian newspaper Ayots Ashkhar
on 26 November headlined "The most important thing is to achieve the
goal, not the means"
The participation of two Armenian deputies in the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly seminar that will take place in Baku is becoming almost
impossible. Azerbaijan is not giving any security guarantees. The
chairman of the defence, national security and interior affairs
commission of the National Assembly, Mger Shakhgeldyan, comments on
the current situation.
(Ayots Ashkhar correspondent) How significant is the participation
of Armenian representatives in the seminar?
(Mger Shakhgeldyan) This seminar was initiated by the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly. There will be discussions on the regional
developments and it would be desirable to express the views of the
Armenian party there.
(Correspondent) Does Azerbaijan not agree to your visit?
(Shakhgeldyan) Azerbaijan gave its general consent to the holding of
the seminar, taking account of all participants. But our situation
is different, there are a number of negative precedents connected
with our servicemen's visit to Baku.
(Passage omitted: Shakhgeldyan said the hotel in Baku where
Armenian servicemen lived was attacked, they were denied visas at
the Azerbaijani embassy in Georgia and an Armenian journalist from
Bulgaria was arrested in Baku and then deported)
(Correspondent) The chairman of the National Assembly sent a letter
to his Azerbaijani counterpart in this connection. Has he replied?
(Shakhgeldyan) Artur Bagdasaryan (National Assembly chairman) really
sent a letter in which he suggested that the Azerbaijani party provide
security guarantees. There is no reply, although we have booked two
Moscow-Baku air tickets for me and MP Aleksan Karapetyan. Incidentally,
the seminar has already started and will last for three days. So if
we do not get an answer today, there will be no point in going to
Baku as the seminar will have ended.
(Correspondent) The Azerbaijani party has disseminated information
in the Internet that Aleksan Karapetyan and you participated in
the Karabakh war and have Red Cross awards. Is this an attempt to
substantiate the refusal?
(Shakhgeldyan) I do not rule this out. Incidentally, I served in the
Soviet army and did not take part in the Karabakh war, and I have no
such award, although I would be very proud to have it. Thus, this is
not the reason. We expect an official reply.
(Passage omitted: The Karabakh conflict should be settled on the
basis of the Karabakh people's right to self-determination)
Ayots Ashkhar, Yerevan
26 Nov 04
Excerpt from Vaan Vardanyan report by Armenian newspaper Ayots Ashkhar
on 26 November headlined "The most important thing is to achieve the
goal, not the means"
The participation of two Armenian deputies in the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly seminar that will take place in Baku is becoming almost
impossible. Azerbaijan is not giving any security guarantees. The
chairman of the defence, national security and interior affairs
commission of the National Assembly, Mger Shakhgeldyan, comments on
the current situation.
(Ayots Ashkhar correspondent) How significant is the participation
of Armenian representatives in the seminar?
(Mger Shakhgeldyan) This seminar was initiated by the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly. There will be discussions on the regional
developments and it would be desirable to express the views of the
Armenian party there.
(Correspondent) Does Azerbaijan not agree to your visit?
(Shakhgeldyan) Azerbaijan gave its general consent to the holding of
the seminar, taking account of all participants. But our situation
is different, there are a number of negative precedents connected
with our servicemen's visit to Baku.
(Passage omitted: Shakhgeldyan said the hotel in Baku where
Armenian servicemen lived was attacked, they were denied visas at
the Azerbaijani embassy in Georgia and an Armenian journalist from
Bulgaria was arrested in Baku and then deported)
(Correspondent) The chairman of the National Assembly sent a letter
to his Azerbaijani counterpart in this connection. Has he replied?
(Shakhgeldyan) Artur Bagdasaryan (National Assembly chairman) really
sent a letter in which he suggested that the Azerbaijani party provide
security guarantees. There is no reply, although we have booked two
Moscow-Baku air tickets for me and MP Aleksan Karapetyan. Incidentally,
the seminar has already started and will last for three days. So if
we do not get an answer today, there will be no point in going to
Baku as the seminar will have ended.
(Correspondent) The Azerbaijani party has disseminated information
in the Internet that Aleksan Karapetyan and you participated in
the Karabakh war and have Red Cross awards. Is this an attempt to
substantiate the refusal?
(Shakhgeldyan) I do not rule this out. Incidentally, I served in the
Soviet army and did not take part in the Karabakh war, and I have no
such award, although I would be very proud to have it. Thus, this is
not the reason. We expect an official reply.
(Passage omitted: The Karabakh conflict should be settled on the
basis of the Karabakh people's right to self-determination)