Armenia to increase its military budget in 2005

Interfax
June 10 2004

Yerevan. (Interfax-AVN) – Armenia’s military budget will be increased
in 2005, Defense Minister Serzhik Sarkisyan told Interfax on Wednesday.

“Not naming any specific figures, I can say for sure that Armenia’s
military budget will be increased,” he said.

Speaking about the NATO conference on military training scheduled to
take place in Baku next week, Sarkisyan said Armenian servicemen will
attend the gathering.

There are currently no obstacles to Armenia’s participation in the
conference, Sarkisyan said. “Armenia will only accept full-fledged
participation in NATO training in Azerbaijan, not participation with
observer status,” he said.

Speaking about this week’s exchange of fire on the Armenian-
Azerbaijani border, Sarkisyan said that “such cases sometimes occur.
Azerbaijan often tries to push its positions forward, and Armenia
curbs such attempts.”