Azerbaijan has right to defend its territorial integrity - Matthew Bryza

There are legal methods to block the operations of Khojaly airport, former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan and ex-co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza believes.

"Azerbaijan has a right to defend its territorial integrity under international law," Bryza told journalists in Baku on Friday, commenting on Armenia's plans to open the airport in Azerbaijan's occupied territory.

"Of course, issues surrounding the airport in the occupied territories can lead to the escalation of tension around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. However, this issue, like other related problems, can be resolved by the OSCE Minsk Group, as I said before as U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan and the OSCE Minsk Group's co-chair," he said.

"However, on the other hand, the question arises as to how this decision will affect Russia's image as the OSCE Minsk Group's co-chair," Bryza said.