WCO Sec. Gen. Didn’t Speak of Karabakh Issue in Baku

Last week Azeri media spread information according to which Michel Danet, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization made the following statement during a news conference in Baku, “A part of Azerbaijan’s territory is seized by another country. Azerbaijan can prevent growing of drug plants on the seized territory of Nagorno Karabakh and their transit either diplomatically or by force.” Mr. Danet allegedly stated that the “Azeri side furnished him some facts proving that drug plants are being grown up on the seized territories. In this view, the Armenian Embassy in Brussels requested Secretary General of the World Customs Organization Michel Danet to comment on the reports of the Azeri media. In a reply addressed to the Armenian Embassy the WCO refuted the statements Azeri press ascribed to its Secretary General. The document says that during the above mentioned press conference Mr. Danet was asked numerous questions regarding Nagorno Karabakh, however the WCO Secretary General emphasized that the World Customs Organization is a technical instance dealing with customs issues while political questions should be
decided by leaders of the states diplomatically. The reply also noted that the WCO consists of 169 members and the Secretary General has never touched upon the political situation in any country, reported RA MFA press office.