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NATO CHIEF VISITS ARMENIA AS REGIONAL TENSIONS ESCALATE
Global Insight
September 5, 2012
BYLINE: James Goundry
NATO Secretary-General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is paying a two-day
visit to Armenia (5-6 September) amid rising tensions with neighbouring
Azerbaijan. Simmering tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan over
the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh have threatened to boil
over in recent days following the extradition from Hungary of a
convicted Azeri murderer last week. Lt Ramil Safarov was sentenced
to 30 years in prison by a Hungarian court in 2004 for the murder of
Armenian soldier Gurgen Margarian at a NATO-sponsored Partnership for
Peace English language course in Hungary (seeArmenia - Azerbaijan -
Hungary: 3 September 2012:). On his arrival in Azerbaijan last week,
Safarov was immediately pardoned and promoted, prompting outrage in
Armenia. Rasmussen will meet with Armenian President Sergh Sarkisian,
and the foreign and defence ministers, Edward Nalbandian and Seyran
Ohanyan. Armenia does not officially seek NATO membership, although
it does want to deepen its relationship with the alliance.
Significance:Rasmussen will seek to diffuse tensions as both the United
States and EU have condemned the Azeri pardon as a threat to the
stability of the region. Nonetheless, Armenia has publicly declared
itself ready for war and will stage significant military exercises
later this month. Safarov's case is a nationalistic propaganda coup
for Azerbaijan, which often stokes anti-Armenian rhetoric to distract
public attention away from widespread corruption, wealth polarisation,
and a lack of democracy in the country. This is a dangerous tactic. As
the rhetoric and tensions escalate, so too does the risk of war.
Global Insight
September 5, 2012
BYLINE: James Goundry
NATO Secretary-General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is paying a two-day
visit to Armenia (5-6 September) amid rising tensions with neighbouring
Azerbaijan. Simmering tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan over
the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh have threatened to boil
over in recent days following the extradition from Hungary of a
convicted Azeri murderer last week. Lt Ramil Safarov was sentenced
to 30 years in prison by a Hungarian court in 2004 for the murder of
Armenian soldier Gurgen Margarian at a NATO-sponsored Partnership for
Peace English language course in Hungary (seeArmenia - Azerbaijan -
Hungary: 3 September 2012:). On his arrival in Azerbaijan last week,
Safarov was immediately pardoned and promoted, prompting outrage in
Armenia. Rasmussen will meet with Armenian President Sergh Sarkisian,
and the foreign and defence ministers, Edward Nalbandian and Seyran
Ohanyan. Armenia does not officially seek NATO membership, although
it does want to deepen its relationship with the alliance.
Significance:Rasmussen will seek to diffuse tensions as both the United
States and EU have condemned the Azeri pardon as a threat to the
stability of the region. Nonetheless, Armenia has publicly declared
itself ready for war and will stage significant military exercises
later this month. Safarov's case is a nationalistic propaganda coup
for Azerbaijan, which often stokes anti-Armenian rhetoric to distract
public attention away from widespread corruption, wealth polarisation,
and a lack of democracy in the country. This is a dangerous tactic. As
the rhetoric and tensions escalate, so too does the risk of war.