AZERBAIJAN HAS TO RETREAT
Vardan Grigoryan
Hayots Ashkharh daily
Sept 6 2007
Armenia
The session of the Council of CIS Home Ministers that took place in
Baku yesterday displayed that Azerbaijani authorities are powerless to
prohibit Armenian official delegations’ entry in the territory of their
country. Hence they have to, partially refuse their previous policy.
We should remind you that beginning from Karabakh war Azerbaijan
hampers the entry of not only Armenian and NKR official representatives
but also any citizens of other countries – Armenian by nationality.
Not only our compatriots, official Baku, also appears in ridiculous
situations, due to this mode of action. Lets remember for example
the cases when Azerbaijan bans the entry of any singer, Armenian by
nationality, to Baku. By the way, a singer that enjoys popularity
among the audience of Baku.
We should also remind you about the arrest of Armenian journalists
that, by chance arrive in Baku with European delegations, let alone
the cases of tortures and imprisonment of many Georgian Armenians
traveling by Tbilisy-Baku train.
The condition of Azerbaijani authorities became harder and even
hopeless, when the number of international, regional sports and other
types of seminars and competitions increased in Baku.
Logically Armenian representatives were also invited to participate
in those events. But every time Azerbaijan was trying to hamper,
singing the same song about the "20% occupied territories."
Thus after each similar events Azerbaijan’s reputation was spoiled,
due to the conflicts with NATO, Organization of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation and various CIS sports organizations.
Everyone remembers the dramatic attack of famous Akif Naghi "Karabakh
Liberation Movement" on Armenian officers during the seminar organized
by NATO in Baku. Even the leadership of NATO was obliged to interfere
in that conflict and to stop the process of the military training
convened in Baku in the framework of the project "Partnership for
Peace".
Thus on September 4 on the eve of the Session of CIS Home Ministers’
Council in Baku Head of the Foreign Relations Department of the
Azerbaijani President’s executive staff Novruz Mamedov had to
confess, " The participation of Armenian representatives in certain
events organized by international organizations in Baku is simply
unavoidable." and "the norms of international law and behavior requires
cold-hearted attitude towards this issue.
Similar instruction-orders heard from Ilham Aliev’s staff display that
the ban on Armenians’ entry to Azerbaijan is not fully removed but
official Baku is powerless to prohibit the participation of Armenian
representatives in the events organized by "certain international
organizations".
A day later Azerbaijani deputy Foreign Minister Vagif Sadikhov found
another version to "ground" Azerbaijan’s partial refusal of an obvious
racist policy. He said, " The more often Armenian’s arrive in Baku
and get acquainted with the standard of life, the better for us,
from the point of view of politics."
During the coming days the delegation of Armenian boxers are going
to leave for Baku and it is easy to imagine what will happen, when
in case of victory they raise Armenian flag and perform the national
anthem of Armenia. At least only for this purpose at least one of
Armenian boxers must win a victory in the capital of Azerbaijan.
Thus after the failure of the traditional policy of Baku to isolate
Armenia from the international organizations, at present official
Baku fails banning the entry of Armenian delegations in Azerbaijan.