Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 2 / Trend A.Badalova /
Armenia does not have the right to open airport in Khankendi in the occupied territories of Nagorno-Karabakh, leading expert of the Heritage Foundation for Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy and member of Trend Expert Council, Ariel Cohen said in interview with Trend.
"According to the international law, these are occupied territories. The occupying power does not have the right to open such an airport," he said.
This week Armenia has stated about launching the airport exploitation in Khankendi in the occupied territories of Nagorno-Karabakh.
It was previously reported that it is planned to start flights from Yerevan to Khankendi and back soon.
According to Cohen, the launching of an airport is a step that violates international law. He also mentioned that according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) this step is illegal.
Cohen also believes that this Armenia's step is not constructive, and this is an issue that the Azerbaijani government has to communicate in a clear way both to the international authorities and to Armenia itself.
Cohen said that it is in the interest of both countries and it is in the interest of peoples of Azerbaijan and Armenia to have peace, to have economic development, and to have Armenia a part of East-West corridor that Azerbaijan and Georgia are successfully implementing.
According to Cohen, insisting on an intransigent position is backfiring, is boomerang against Armenian people, resulting in emigration from Armenia and the low living standard.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.