YEREVAN.- Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia have never politicized and do not politicize the opening of the Stepanakert airport, Minister Edward Nalbandian said in response to Armenian News-NEWS.am inquiry.

Asked to comment on several European parliamentarians’ concern about the opening of Stepanakert airport which may have an impact on the negotiation process, Nalbandian said “they should have been acquainted with the approaches of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.”

“If those above mentioned 2-3 parliamentarians are genuinely concerned about the negotiation process, then they should have at least been interested in it, they should have been acquainted with the approaches of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Specifically on this issue the Co-Chairs have on numerous occasions urged the sides to reject any threat or use of force against civil aircrafts and that the airport opening issue should not be politicized. But who is threatening? Azerbaijan. Who is politicizing? Azerbaijan and those who by the latter’s incitements are making these kinds of statements.

If these parliamentarians are genuinely concerned about the security and stability in the region, then why have not they ever expressed any concerns about the bellicose rhetoric, warmongering policies of Azerbaijan, about its provocative actions? What was their reaction about the notorious Safarov deal? Those same parliamentarians were either silent or were even justifying Azerbaijan, when the whole world was unequivocally condemning Baku.

Why are those parliamentarians behaving like this? I think the answer to this question we, as well as they themselves know very well.

Our position on this issue is very clear: Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia have never politicized and do not politicize the opening of the Stepanakert airport. The airport in Stepanakert is only for civilian and humanitarian purposes,” he said.