Strengthened army capable of liberating Karabakh – Azeri leader

Lider TV, Baku,
13 May 04

[Presenter] Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is continuing his
visit to the Naxcivan Autonomous Republic. At an opening ceremony of
a new corps at military unit N yesterday, the head of state said that
Azerbaijan is ready to liberate its land from the enemy at any minute.

[Correspondent over video of the ceremony, soldiers marching,
Aliyev addressing servicemen] President Ilham Aliyev, who attended
the ceremony to open the corps at military unit N, presented the new
corps with a combat flag.

Delivering a speech, the head of state spoke about the work done in
Azerbaijan over the past several years to develop the army. He said
that the army is one of the attributes of independence.

[Passage omitted: Aliyev criticized the authorities who were in power
before 1993 for shortcomings in the army development]

[Correspondent] But the time is different now and an Azerbaijani
soldier is very different. He said that the Azerbaijani army is capable
of liberating Karabakh and as a commander-in-chief, he believed in
the strength of the army.

[Aliyev] The Azerbaijani people will never put up with the loss of
the land. If we see that the negotiations do not yield any results,
we will use all our means to liberate our land. For this, a strong
army, patriotism, the unity and the will of the people are needed. We
have all this.

[Servicemen are clapping]

[Correspondent] The head of state familiarized himself with the unit’s
canteen. Interested in the conditions servicemen were living in,
the president decided to have his supper with them.

President Ilham Aliyev also attended a ceremony to open an electronic
library at the Naxcivan State University.

[Passage omitted: video shows Aliyev asking a student how he uses
the library; Aliyev attended the branch of the Academy of Sciences’
in Naxcivan where he delivered another speech; no details]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress