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SHOOTING DOWN ARTSAKH-BOUND CIVILIAN PLANES TO SIGNAL START OF NEW WAR
PanARMENIAN.Net
March 24, 2011 - 13:40 AMT 09:40 GMT
Azerbaijan will do a very foolish thing should it venture an attempt
to shoot down civilian planes heading for Stepanakert airport, ARF
Bureau's Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office Director said.
"Shooting down Artsakh-bound civilian planes will signal the start of
a new war," Kiro Manoyan told a news conference in Yerevan. "We can't
exclude such a possibility but similar threats arouse deep concerns
and the international community, specifically the Co-chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group should condemn the statements made by Azerbaijani
officials."
On March 23, U.S. ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch slammed
Azerbaijan's threats as unacceptable.
Earlier, Baku threatened to shoot down civilian planes flying to
Karabakh after reopening of Stepanakert airport. As Baku's state
aviation agency said it has informed the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) that the region's airspace was closed and any
flights would be unauthorized. "According to the law on aviation, it is
even possible to physically destroy airplanes which are heading there,"
Arif Mammadov, director of Azerbaijan's Civil Aviation Administration,
said in comments to local media. "We asked the ICAO to notify the
opposing side in order to prevent incidents," he said.
Stepanakert airport will start operating in May 2011.
From: A. Papazian
PanARMENIAN.Net
March 24, 2011 - 13:40 AMT 09:40 GMT
Azerbaijan will do a very foolish thing should it venture an attempt
to shoot down civilian planes heading for Stepanakert airport, ARF
Bureau's Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office Director said.
"Shooting down Artsakh-bound civilian planes will signal the start of
a new war," Kiro Manoyan told a news conference in Yerevan. "We can't
exclude such a possibility but similar threats arouse deep concerns
and the international community, specifically the Co-chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group should condemn the statements made by Azerbaijani
officials."
On March 23, U.S. ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch slammed
Azerbaijan's threats as unacceptable.
Earlier, Baku threatened to shoot down civilian planes flying to
Karabakh after reopening of Stepanakert airport. As Baku's state
aviation agency said it has informed the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) that the region's airspace was closed and any
flights would be unauthorized. "According to the law on aviation, it is
even possible to physically destroy airplanes which are heading there,"
Arif Mammadov, director of Azerbaijan's Civil Aviation Administration,
said in comments to local media. "We asked the ICAO to notify the
opposing side in order to prevent incidents," he said.
Stepanakert airport will start operating in May 2011.
From: A. Papazian