YEREVAN. – The Hungarian-Azerbaijani arrangement shocked the international community, Armenia’s FM Edward Nalbandian stated Tuesday during his joint news conference with Luxembourg’s Deputy PM and FM Jean Asselborn.
In response to the observation that the Hungarian FM had sent a letter to Nalbandian, in which a wish was expressed toward normalizing relations with Armenia, Nalbandian said in particular:
“The Hungarian side publicized the letter. You know that the Hungarian-Azerbaijani arrangement shocked the international community and a corresponding reaction was made by the international community.
[And] What we hear today from Azerbaijan is just as shocking. But I can note with regret that what we hear likewise from Hungary today is just as shocking.
Official Hungarian representatives say the course of the arrangement was transparent, whereas the most senior Azerbaijani officials say secret negotiations were held.”
As per Nalbandian, Hungary sent notes and letters to the embassies accredited in Budapest, and expressed its resentment over the Azerbaijan’s decision to release Ramil Safarov.
“But the very same letter concludes with that. Is this the manifestation of the Hungarian side’s resentment? Hungary says the decision on extraditing Safarov is in compliance with the Strasbourg Convention, the Council of Europe Convention. You know that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE] President stated that this arrangement is an abuse of this very convention,” Armenia’s FM noted, and added that the reactions coming from the Hungarian side are merely attempts to justify what transpired.
“It is for Hungary’s responsibility in making this arrangement that Armenia decided to suspend relations with Hungary,” Edward Nalbandian concluded.
Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier that Ramil Safarov, a lieutenant in the Azerbaijani military, was extradited on August 31 from Hungary, where he was serving a life sentence—and with no expression of either regret or remorse—for the premeditated axe murder of Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO Partnership for Peace program in Budapest back in 2004.
As expected, Ramil Safarov’s return to Baku was welcomed, as was his act of murder, by the officials of president Ilham Aliyev’s government and much of Azerbaijani society, and the Azerbaijani president immediately granted him a pardon.
And Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan announced on August 31 that Armenia is suspending its diplomatic ties with Hungary.
Ramil Safarov’s pardoning is condemned by virtually all international organizations.
Photo by Sona Barseghyan
