ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR MET WITH NATO SEC. GEN. IN CONNECTION WITH MURDER OF ARMENIAN OFFICER IN BUDAPEST

Yesterday head of the Armenian delegation to the NATO, Ambassador Vigen Chitechian handed NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer a letter of Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian in connection with murder of an Armenian officer by an Azeri serviceman in Budapest, where they were taking English courses within the framework of the NATO Partnership for Peace Program. The letter expresses indignation on the occasion of the barbaric crime, which shocked Armenia and arouse a surge of anger. In the Minister’s opinion, such an action “was, unfortunately, quite expected as a consequence of militarist statements of the previous and new authorities of Azerbaijan. It is deplorable that such policy is kept by the new President and it has received a new stimulus.” As emphasized by the head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, “Armenia has always considered the Partnership for Peace Program as an effective form to regulate certain phenomena, including to normalize relations with Azerbaijan.” Nevertheless, “Azerbaijan has never responded to our approaches to partnership, even before this unprecedented case.” The Minister’s letter notes “there has been no measure within the Program framework, which was not used by official Baku to launch anti-Armenian propaganda and hysteria.” As reported by the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia, in the course of yesterday’s meeting with V. Chitechian the NATO Secretary General condemned the crime and asked the Ambassador to convey his sincere condolences to the family of the officer killed. The parties also discussed further cooperation within the Partnership for Peace Program.