Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 4 / Trend, E. Mehdiyev /
Member of European Parliament Kristina Ojuland condemns any action to open the Khojaly Airport in Nagorno-Karabakh.
She made this statement while answering a question about Armenia's plans regarding the Khojaly Airport, the European-Azerbaijani society told Trend on Monday.
"I strongly condemn any action aimed at opening the Khojaly airport in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is on Azerbaijani territory and occupied by Armenian armed forces," she said.
She said that this action will not only cause damage to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but violate international law, four UN Security Council resolutions and the Chicago Convention.
"Opening the Khojaly airport will have a negative impact on the peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group," she said. "It is irresponsible of the Armenian leadership to neglect all EU efforts in the peace process."
She said that if one compares these plans with the Khojaly tragedy of 1992, similar actions in the future will lead to increased tension in the region.
Earlier, Armenian media reported on the airport's commissioning in the near future.
Commissioning the airport would be an open violation of the Convention on International Civil Aviation [adopted on December 7, 1944 in Chicago], the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported earlier.
Azerbaijan will strengthen the application of the Chicago Convention's application.
Azerbaijan banned the use of the airspace over Nagorno-Karabakh occupied by Armenia, as no one can guarantee a safe air corridor in the area, the head of the Azerbaijani Civil Aviation Administration, Arif Mammadov said earlier.
He said Armenia's steps towards the operation of the airport are attempts to violate international aviation law. This air space belongs to Azerbaijan, so its use by Armenia is illegal.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Civil Aviation Conference (ICAC) also support Azerbaijan on this issue.
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.