Focus, Bulgaria
April 4 2009

DHA: Azerbaijan opposes opening of Turkish-Armenian border before
Nagorno-Karabakh issue is solved

4 April 2009 | 16:58 | FOCUS News Agency

Baku/Ankara. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed
concern over the perspective to open Turkish-Armenian border before
the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is solved, saying the opening would
contradict to the country’s national interests, Turkish Dogu Haber
Ajansi /DHA/ agency informs.

Answering a question of the Azerbaijani news agency APA, Foreign
Ministry Spokesperson Elhan Poluhov highlighted that such a step would
be interpreted as `an inclination to encourage Armenia’s conquering
policy towards Azerbaijani territories.’

When Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov visited Georgia on
Thursday, he said that `if the border is opened before the withdrawal
of the Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, the
opening would be against Azerbaijan’s national interests.’

This opinion has been presented to Turkey’s leadership, the minister
said, cited by the Turkish press.