"ZERKALO": END OF EXTREME REST IN GARABAGH
DemAz.org, Azerbaijan
Dec 18 2007
At least British Minister promises it As "Zerkalo" informed, British
tourist agency Sunvil Discovery organizes tours to Armenia and the
Upper Garabagh. Particularly, company deals with individual tours
accordingly to special order and following the above mentioned
itinerary with numerous possible tours and versions.
It is not surprising that this news caused protest on the part of
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, but not because of
market competition, but because of more serious reasons.
Particularly, Ministry condemned organization of tours to
self-recognized Upper Garabagh by British agency and sent protest
letter to British Sunvil Discovery, press-secretary of Ministry of
Tourism, Intigam Gumbatov, informed "Novosti-Azerbaijan". Moreover,
corresponding letters were sent to Ministries of Foreign Affairs,
Culture, Creative Industry and Tourism of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and North Ireland and World Tourism Organization.
Requested to comment this information a day later, press attache of
UK Embassy to Azerbaijan, Sevinj Asadova, stressed that the web site
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country as well as sites of
Embassy itself clearly read that British citizens are not recommended
to visit conflict zones. "Such zones in Azerbaijan are territories
of the Upper Garabagh", declared she to correspondent.
In turn, press secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan,
Khazar Ibrahim, informed us that Embassy of Azerbaijan to UK is
considering this matter at the moment.
And most recently we got information spread by "Trend" agency
accordingly to which British Minister on European issues, Jim Murphy,
declared to Ambassador of Azerbaijan to UK, Fahraddin Gurbanov, that
UK government will undertake everything with respect to British Sunvil
Discovery which organizes tours to the Upper Garabagh regardless of
recommendations on non-admittance to occupied territories.
"British authorities support territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
and recommend British citizens not to visit occupied Upper Garabagh
region because of "unsolved dispute" and possible exchange of fires",
– British Minister declared.
Right after British Minister’s official statement, Sevinj Asadova,
informed us that diplomatic corps thoroughly learns the issue raised
by Fahraddin Gurbanov and official Baku.
It seems we can congratulate Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Azerbaijan with though small but victory, as with organization of
tours to the Upper Garabagh, Sunvil Discovery first of all violated
legislation of our country accordingly to which such tours without
appropriate visa permission represent basic violation of frontiers
of Azerbaijan. British tourist agency also violated international
laws which regulate principle of frontier inviolability.
However, yet it is not known how far authorities are ready to go to
apply sanctions against tourist company. As Kh. Ibrahim informed our
correspondent, now Ministry is waiting results of London meeting to
be held between Ambassador of Azerbaijan and British Minister.
We should remind that apply of sanction against ones who want to build
up their commercial activity contrary to the law has been practiced
by ministry long ago. However, to date they have been applied against
those companies which violating international sanctions sold their
products to such countries as Syria and Iran.
Such countries are in "black list" of US government, now numbering 24
foreign legal and physical entities from China, Iran, Iraq, Mexico,
Malaysia, Syria, Pakistan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,
Sudan and Russia.
However not only America but also third world countries attempted
to make some companies work accordingly to the law. However, their
experience didn’t last long. Thus, in 2006 Nigerian authorities
accused American company Pfizer in making experiment with medicines
in 1996 which resulted in death of about 200 children and disability
of many. Authorities of the country asserted that Pfizer didn’t
have necessary approval for spread of medicines, however, it tested
experimental antibiotic Trovan in Nigerian city Kano at the time of
meningitis epidemic in 1996. Company decidedly refused accusations
declaring that tests in Nigeria were held in accordance with local
and international law.
At the same time representatives of US administration declared that
they will take measures against this company, yet they did nothing.
Victims and their families didn’t even get compensation. July 20, 2007
government of Nigeria got back its suit filed against Pfizer company…