Stepanakert airport may resume operation after presidential election in Azerbaijan: analyst

YEREVAN, February 4. / ARKA /. An Armenian political analyst said Saturday that the airport in Nagorno-Karabakh capital Stepanakert which has undergone a major repair, may  resume operations only  after next presidential elections in Azerbaijan, slated for 2013 October. 

Speaking to reporters Gevorg Melkonyan said the danger that the authorities of Azerbaijan may use the resumption of the airport as a pretext to aggravate dramatically the situation is quite large.

According to him, Azerbaijan is seeing what he called ‘increasing revolutionary processes’, and the Aliyev clan may try to solve political problems by capitalizing on "external exacerbations."

The renovated airport, equipped with modern technology and able to handle 100 passengers an hour is fully ready to operate flights between Stepanakert and Yerevan. According to Karabakh authorities, later it will operate also international flights. 

Azerbaijan has threatened to down Karabakh planes. Azerbaijan’s military rhetoric has not subsided despite warning by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen.

In comments on Baku’s threats to shoot Armenian passenger aircrafts Nikolay Bordyuzha, the secretary general of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) said January 29 in Yerevan that Azerbaijan is a civilized state, adhering  to international laws. He expressed doubt that "in our time, leadership of a country can order to destroy  civilian aircrafts. "

But this statement provoked a sharp reaction from official Baku. A spokesman for its defense ministry accused Bordyuzha of behaving as a representative of the Armenians. He added “f Armenia wants to normalize the situation and resolve the conflict peacefully, it must demonstrate an independent and fair position, and not act under anyone's dictate." -0-