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YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS: Discussion on the legality of shooting down the aircraft of unrecognized states took place today in the American University of Armenia. Head of the international agreements department of the Armenian Constitutional Court Vladimir Vardanyan said few main issues have been forwarded, among which are the international experience of using the civic aircraft, international legal bans, reality of applying the bans, possible international sanctions as well as the importance of new airport for the Nagorno Karabakh.
Artsrun Hovhannissyan, military expert, pointed out that the threat of shooting down the planes by Azerbaijan is an attempt of keeping Nagorno Karabakh in economic blockade. “The new functioning airport opens new prospects in front of unrecognized republics. It opens new ways for speeded-up cargo transportations as well as increase of the number of tourists. Taking into consideration all this positive sides, Azerbaijan will undertake any step to suspend the work of the airport”, Hovhannisyan said, assuring that taking into consideration the current situation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict the shooting down of civil aircraft may be assessed as threat of war and in this case according to international norms Azerbaijan will be hold accountable.
Vladimir Vardanyan pointed out that the International Civil Aircraft Organization (ICAO) may apply sanctions against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. “Such international practice already exists. During the reopening of the Abkhazian airport the Georgian authorities applied to the ICAO which stated that it recognizes the territorial integrity of Georgia and excludes providing of right of international flights to the Abkhazian side without the official permission of Tbilisi”, Vardanyan said, adding that in nay case inner flights like Yerevan-Stepanakert and in future Stepanakert-Yerevan and other international flights are possible.