STEPANAKERT.- Azerbaijan is trying to politicize the opening of Stepanakert airport, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) President’s spokesperson said.

Davit Babayan commented for Armenian News-NEWS.am on the recent statement of State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland on Stepanakert airport.

“Opening of the airport is not pursuing political goals. NKR leadership repeatedly stated this. Azerbaijan is doing the opposite, trying to politicize the issue,” Babayan said.

Commenting on the State Department representative Victoria Nuland’s statement saying “the operation of this airport should not be used to support any claim of change in the status of Nagorno-Karabakh,” Babayan said the status of Nagorno-Karabakh had been determined long ago.

“Nagorno-Karabakh has never been a part of independent Azerbaijan, only a part of Azerbaijan created during the Soviet times,” he said.

Babayan also recalled that opening of the airport is pursuing peaceful purposes. “It is a facility which will contribute to development of the country,” he noted.

The airport of Stepanakert has been launched but no flights are being operated. Resumption of airport’s operation provokes hysteria in Azerbaijan.

Baku is constantly threatening to shoot down the planes flying to Stepanakert. Such threats directly contradict international law on civil aviation.