Yerevan /Mediamax/. The Azerbaijani leadership refused to receive the Armenian Defense Ministry’s delegation heading for Baku and scheduled to take part in the session of the Commission of General Headquarter Chiefs of Armed Forces of CIS states due in the capital of Azerbaijan.

The Armenian delegation arrived in Moscow today to head for Baku afterwards, Mediamax was told in the press service of the Armenian Defense Ministry.

“Despite the invitation of the Board of Defense Ministers of CIS states as well as the official notification sent to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, the host country didn’t confirm their readiness and interest in receiving the Armenian delegation. That’s why the flight for the Armenian delegation from Moscow to Baku was cancelled”, the press service reported.

Mediamax recalls that in January 2004, the Azerbaijani authorities didn’t allow the officers of the Armenian Armed Forces to arrive in Baku to take part in the conference on NATO’s Cooperative Best Effort-2004 exercises due to be held in Azerbaijan within “Partnership for Peace” program. At that time, upon Azerbaijan’s request, the relevant Turkish agencies didn’t permit the Armenian officers to enter the airplane leaving Istanbul for Baku.

After long-lasting negotiations on Armenian officers’ participation in the exercises held between the NATO representatives and Azerbaijani authorities, Azerbaijan again refused to receive the Armenian officers in its territory and as a result, the North Atlantic Alliance made a sensational decision by canceling the holding of exercises in Azerbaijan.