Secretary of Prosperous Armenia (PA) parliamentary group Aram Safaryan said PA supports the Armenian authorities’ policy with respect to the Stepanakert airport operation.

The Stepanakert airport opening and operation is not a provocation by Armenia, Safaryan told a briefing in the Armenian parliament.

“The airport operation will contribute to the development of Artsakh’s economy, and I urge everyone to consider the Armenian airport within this context,” concluded Safaryan.

In the April 14 joint statement, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs expressed their concern that the planned opening of an airport in Nagorno-Karabakh could lead to further increased tensions. They cautioned that the operation of flights to and from this airport could not be used to support any claim of a change in the current status of Nagorno-Karabakh under international law. The Co-Chairs urged the sides to reach an understanding in keeping with international conventions and agreements, as well as current practice between Armenia and Azerbaijan for flights over their territory. The Co-Chairs welcomed assurances from the sides that they will reject any threat or attack against civil aircraft, pursue the matter through diplomatic steps, and refrain from politicizing the issue.