Hungary to accept Switzerland proposal for mending relations with Armenia: Martonyi

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: Hungary accepted Switzerland proposal to regulate relations with Armenia. Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi stated on Wednesday that it was ''extremely regrettable, unacceptable and condemnable'' that the government of Azerbaijan had not kept its promise to keep Ramil Safarov, an Azeri officer who received a life sentence in Hungary for killing an Armenian soldier, behind bars, Armenpress reports citing politics.hu.

Hungary last week allowed the Azeri murderer to return to his home country, whereupon he was pardoned by the president and released. Armenia suspended diplomatic ties with Hungary on Friday. Martonyi told public radio that during his visit in Switzerland on Monday his counterpart Dider Burkhalter had offered his country’s help in mending relations between Hungary and Armenia. Switzerland has been ''traditionally a moderator, neutral country'' and Hungary must make use of all possible means to diffuse tension with Armenia, he added.

Martonyi reiterated that Hungary had acted in good faith in the case of the Azeri soldier, he said and there had been no economic considerations involved. What’s most important now is to make Armenians understand that Hungary has always considered them as a friend, he said. Commenting on reports about threats received by the Azerbaijani embassy in Budapest from Armenian terrorists, he said ''the relevant authorities will certainly take the required steps''.