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Armenia, Hungary In Diplomatic Fallout - OpEd

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  • Armenia, Hungary In Diplomatic Fallout - OpEd

    Eurasia Review
    Sept 2 2012

    Armenia, Hungary In Diplomatic Fallout - OpEd


    September 2, 2012
    By Natalya Kovalenko

    Armenia has severed diplomatic ties with Hungary after that country
    released the killer of an Armenian military officer. Street protests
    have erupted in Yerevan. Armenia's armed forces are on heightened
    alert.

    In 2004, the Armenian officer, Gurgen Markaryan, was axed to death by
    an Azeri colleague, Ramil Safarov, as both were attending NATO English
    language courses in Budapest. In 2006, a Hungarian court sentenced the
    killer to life imprisonment without a possibility of parole. This
    Friday, however, Hungary turned him over to Azerbaijan, where he was
    immediately granted a presidential pardon.


    Armenia

    Dr Azhdar Kurtov is a leading expert at the Russian Institute of
    Strategic Studies:

    `Being an oil power, Azerbaijan is immensely richer than Armenia. It
    successfully uses its oil wealth as a foreign policy instrument.
    Hungary, whose economy is often likened to that of Greece, badly needs
    financial assistance, and it may be looking to Azerbaijan for rescue
    funds.'

    Dr Yana Amelina heads the Caucasus sector of the same Institute:

    `Severing diplomatic ties is a natural reaction to a development of
    this kind. At the same time, it has drawn attention to the
    international weakness of Armenia. Yerevan has failed to keep
    Safarov's case in focus, which allowed Hungary to quietly release the
    convict.

    Many people in Azerbaijan, including senior officials, regard Safarov
    as a national hero. His return boosts the country's morale and
    bolsters its international standing. It also weakens the position of
    Armenia. Hungary's decision to release him may also add fuel to the
    Azeri-Armenian conflict over Nagorny Karabakh.'

    Russian political analyst Dr Vladimir Bruter sees a silver lining for Armenia:

    `The Armenian lobby in Western countries can help Armenia gain moral
    high ground in the Safarov story and persuade Western governments that
    Azerbaijan is not trustworthy. Indeed, the US Department of State has
    already criticized Azerbaijan for failing to deliver on its promise to
    keep Safarov behind bars, in accordance with the sentence handed down
    to him in Hungary.'

    http://www.eurasiareview.com/02092012-armenia-hungary-in-diplomatic-fallout-oped/


    From: Baghdasarian
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