Ukranian NGOs concerned over increasing Azeri threats of use of force against Armenia

YEREVAN, February 14. /ARKA/. All-Ukrainian Narodna Rada non-governmental organization that unites 4,500 Ukrainian NGOs urged the OSCE to take active measures to prevent anti-Armenian policy of Azerbaijan, Analitika.at.ua reported. Earlier, the same call was made by Civilian Union international NGO.

“Recently, provocative statements by official Baku, Azeri mass media and NGOs on opening and operation of Stepanakert international airport have become more frequent. The statements contain direct menaces to use force to suppress civilian flights. We draw your attention to the fact that this conflicts with all international legal and humanitarian norms”, the document says.

The statement also expresses concerns over official Baku’s statements that Azeri air force is instructed to shoot down civic aircrafts that allegedly enter their air space.

“We point out that it is the only airport in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and resumption of its operations pursues merely civilian and humanitarian aims and will have considerable impact over social and economic development”, the document reads.

Such allegations around the civic airport escalate the tensions in the region and may aggravate the situation, according to the statement.

The authors of the statement urge the OSCE and the global community to pay attention to the mentioned facts and called Azeri leadership to refrain from statements and actions that may lead to tragic consequences and undermine the peaceful efforts.

“Baku administration is consistent in demonstrating aggression and complete lack of negotiability”, says the statement.

Azeri top officials’ menaces against Armenia and statements that their main enemy is Armenians of the world prove that anti-Armenian hysteria and hatred of mankind has been part of Azerbaijan’s state policy since long ago, since Sumgait and Baku, since the 1915 genocide of Armenians in Turkey, the document says. -0-