Azerbaijani top official: Armenia’s statements on launching Khojaly airport exploitation is provocation

Armenians skillfully consider these issues, and they like to take these actions frequently, deputy head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, head of the foreign relations department Novruz Mammadov said today.

He was commenting on Armenia's statements on launching the Khojaly airport, which had no actions following it.

"Thus, the Armenians, on the one hand, want to know about the position if they actually announce about launching the flights," he said. "On the other hand, unfortunately, the international community, in general, the political representatives and representatives of the Western countries and governments, often recalling about international law, do not express their position on this issue. Without expressing their position, they show their attitude to the international law, its rules and principles."

"Azerbaijan is considering the Armenian side's action as provocation towards the negotiations over the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement and international relations," Mammadov added.

Earlier, Armenian media reported on the intended commissioning of the airport in Khojaly in the near future.

The commissioning of the airport is 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 legal level use of the application of the Chicago convention.

Azerbaijan banned the use of the airspace over Nagorno-Karabakh occupied by Armenia, as no one can guarantee safe flights in the area, the Azerbaijani Civil Aviation Administration said earlier.

According to Azerbaijani Civil Aviation Administration, Armenia's steps towards the operation of the airport are attempts to violate international aviation law.