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ARMENIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER SLAMS HUNGARY FOR EXTRADITING AZERBAIJANI OFFICER
/ARKA/
4 September, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, September 4. / ARKA /. Armenia's foreign minister Edward
Nalbandian slammed today the authorities of Hungary for extraditing
an Azerbaijani officer, Ramil Safarov, sentenced by a Hungarian court
to life in prison for killing an Armenian colleague, Gurgen Margarian,
in 2004.
Speaking at a joint news conference with visiting foreign minister of
Argentina, Hector Timerman, Nalbandian said the actions of Budapest
have caused the concerns of the international community.
The US, EU, the OSCE Minsk Group, France and the CSTO, deplored
a pardon granted by Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev to Ramil
Safarov, saying that it will complicate a peaceful resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"We believe that these actions by the Azerbaijani as well as Hungarian
authorities run counter to efforts agreed upon at the international
level and within the OSCE Minsk Group framework in the first instance
and aimed at reducing tension in the region," Russian Foreign Ministry
spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich said in a statement.
Nikolay Bordyuzha, secretary general of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russian-led military alliance of six
ex-Soviet states, denounced Safarov's release from prison in stronger
terms. He said the move "runs counter to the norms of international
law and calls into question the viability of the inter-state system
of countering crime."
"We are concerned by the news that the president of Azerbaijan pardoned
Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov who was convicted and sentenced
to life imprisonment for the murder of an Armenian army officer in
2004," Maja Kocijancic, a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief
Catherine Ashton told a news briefing in Brussels.
U.S. President Barack Obama expressed through a spokesman his "deep
concern" and "disappointment" with Safarov's release later on Friday.
The spokesman said Washington also expects an official explanation
from the Hungarian side.
"The actions of Hungary, as a member of the EU and NATO, have raised
serious concern of the international community. How could Hungary
pretend it believes Azerbaijan, and go to such a dubious move,
" Nalbandian said.
Argentina's foreign minister declined to comment on the matter,
explaining that he had arrived in Armenia to strengthen bilateral
relations and advised to ask questions on this topic.
From: Baghdasarian
/ARKA/
4 September, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, September 4. / ARKA /. Armenia's foreign minister Edward
Nalbandian slammed today the authorities of Hungary for extraditing
an Azerbaijani officer, Ramil Safarov, sentenced by a Hungarian court
to life in prison for killing an Armenian colleague, Gurgen Margarian,
in 2004.
Speaking at a joint news conference with visiting foreign minister of
Argentina, Hector Timerman, Nalbandian said the actions of Budapest
have caused the concerns of the international community.
The US, EU, the OSCE Minsk Group, France and the CSTO, deplored
a pardon granted by Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev to Ramil
Safarov, saying that it will complicate a peaceful resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"We believe that these actions by the Azerbaijani as well as Hungarian
authorities run counter to efforts agreed upon at the international
level and within the OSCE Minsk Group framework in the first instance
and aimed at reducing tension in the region," Russian Foreign Ministry
spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich said in a statement.
Nikolay Bordyuzha, secretary general of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russian-led military alliance of six
ex-Soviet states, denounced Safarov's release from prison in stronger
terms. He said the move "runs counter to the norms of international
law and calls into question the viability of the inter-state system
of countering crime."
"We are concerned by the news that the president of Azerbaijan pardoned
Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov who was convicted and sentenced
to life imprisonment for the murder of an Armenian army officer in
2004," Maja Kocijancic, a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief
Catherine Ashton told a news briefing in Brussels.
U.S. President Barack Obama expressed through a spokesman his "deep
concern" and "disappointment" with Safarov's release later on Friday.
The spokesman said Washington also expects an official explanation
from the Hungarian side.
"The actions of Hungary, as a member of the EU and NATO, have raised
serious concern of the international community. How could Hungary
pretend it believes Azerbaijan, and go to such a dubious move,
" Nalbandian said.
Argentina's foreign minister declined to comment on the matter,
explaining that he had arrived in Armenia to strengthen bilateral
relations and advised to ask questions on this topic.
From: Baghdasarian