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US STATE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE'S REMARKS NOT REACTION TO SAFAROV CASE - OXFORD PROFESSOR
news.am
October 19, 2012 | 00:38
The statement made in the Armenian capital city Yerevan by Eric Rubin,
the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs, was not a reaction to the case of Azerbaijani killer Ramil
Safarov, Oxford University Professor and South Caucasus expert Neil
MacFarlane told Armenian News-NEWS.am.
"The US remains committed to the OSCE Minsk Group format for more
than twenty years, and no one has shown willingness to replace the
Minsk format," MacFarlane stated.
In his view, the Safarov case plays a huge role in this context, albeit
it is clear that numerous international community representatives were
"disappointed" by official Baku's conduct, and this is not surprising.
To note, during his visit to Armenia, Eric Rubin called upon the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue's conflicting parties to remain committed to
the current negotiation format.
Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier that Ramil Safarov, a lieutenant
in the Azerbaijani military, was extradited on August 31 from Hungary,
where he was serving a life sentence-and with no expression of
either regret or remorse-for the premeditated axe murder of Armenian
lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO Partnership
for Peace program in Budapest back in 2004.
As expected, Ramil Safarov's return to Baku was welcomed, as was
his act of murder, by the officials of president Ilham Aliyev's
government and much of Azerbaijani society, and the Azerbaijani
president immediately granted him a pardon.
And Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan announced on August 31 that
Armenia is suspending its diplomatic ties with Hungary.
Ramil Safarov's pardoning is condemned by virtually all international
organizations.
news.am
October 19, 2012 | 00:38
The statement made in the Armenian capital city Yerevan by Eric Rubin,
the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs, was not a reaction to the case of Azerbaijani killer Ramil
Safarov, Oxford University Professor and South Caucasus expert Neil
MacFarlane told Armenian News-NEWS.am.
"The US remains committed to the OSCE Minsk Group format for more
than twenty years, and no one has shown willingness to replace the
Minsk format," MacFarlane stated.
In his view, the Safarov case plays a huge role in this context, albeit
it is clear that numerous international community representatives were
"disappointed" by official Baku's conduct, and this is not surprising.
To note, during his visit to Armenia, Eric Rubin called upon the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue's conflicting parties to remain committed to
the current negotiation format.
Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier that Ramil Safarov, a lieutenant
in the Azerbaijani military, was extradited on August 31 from Hungary,
where he was serving a life sentence-and with no expression of
either regret or remorse-for the premeditated axe murder of Armenian
lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO Partnership
for Peace program in Budapest back in 2004.
As expected, Ramil Safarov's return to Baku was welcomed, as was
his act of murder, by the officials of president Ilham Aliyev's
government and much of Azerbaijani society, and the Azerbaijani
president immediately granted him a pardon.
And Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan announced on August 31 that
Armenia is suspending its diplomatic ties with Hungary.
Ramil Safarov's pardoning is condemned by virtually all international
organizations.