Concern over tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan

“I have followed with increasing concern the growing tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the past few days,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. 

The recent upsurge in tension followed the extradition from Hungary to Azerbaijan on 31 August of Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani army officer convicted of murder, to continue serving his prison sentence in Azerbaijan.

During a training course in Budapest in 2004, carried out under the auspices of NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme, Safarov killed an Armenian officer, a fellow course participant. On his return to Azerbaijan Safarov was pardoned and treated like a hero. Armenia has reacted strongly to the pardon and the incident has served to intensify already existing tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The two countries have been involved in a conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan since 1988. 

Since the 1990s, international negotiations aimed at finding a peaceful settlement to the conflict have been carried out under the auspices of the Minsk Group under the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The Group is co-chaired by the US, Russia and France.   

“Norway shares the concern expressed by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, among others. Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan were already high before these recent developments. Any actions that exacerbate the situation and undermine efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in the region are regrettable. This matter was also discussed at the meeting of the Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers in Vilnius yesterday,” said Mr Støre. 

Press contact: Assistant Director General Frode Andersen: + 47 917 22 022