Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.16
By Seba Aghayeva - Trend:
Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsen Pak Ayeen has commented on the information about the participation of representatives of the unrecognized regime created on Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenia in the 48th Armenian Olympics in Tehran.
The diplomat told Trend that participation of a representative of any country in sportswear with coat of arms or symbols that do not belong to it, was not agreed upon with the organizing committee of the event.
Carrying out the Olympics by Armenians living in Iran is an internal event, and it is held out of respect to religious minorities, he said.
Pak Ayeen added that the organizing committee has invited representatives of Georgia and Armenia as participants to this event, and no country or region were represented in the Olympics apart from them.
“Iran considers inappropriate to use sport for political purposes,” Pak Ayeen said. “Iran's position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not changed, and the participation of Iranian officials in this event is a sign of respect for religious minorities.”
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @Asebaa