EU calls on Azerbaijan and Armenia to show self-restraint in statements on extradition of Safarov

The EU has called on the authorities of Azerbaijan and Armenia to
prevent the escalation of tensions in bilateral relations due to the
extradition of officer Ramil Safarov from Hungary to Azerbaijan,
representative of the EU chief diplomat Catherine Ashton, Maya
Kasyanchich, said today.


Relations between Armenia and Hungary worsened because of the decision
to extradite an Azerbaijani officer Safarov, serving a life sentence
for the murder of an Armenian officer, to Baku. On Friday Safarov
returned to Azerbaijan and was pardoned by President Ilham Aliyev. In
response, President Serzh Sargsyan announced the breaking off of all
diplomatic and official relations with Hungary.

Kasyanchich said that the EU is in particularly concerned about the
possible impact that the current situation might have on the South
Caucasus as a whole.