Armenian officers to take part in NATO drill in Baku
By Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 10, 2004 Friday
YEREVAN, September 10 — Five officers of the Armenian Armed Forces
will take part in the Cooperative Best Effort 2004 exercises in
Azerbaijan on September 14-26 under the NATO Partnership for Peace
program, press secretary of the Armenian defense minister Col. Seiran
Shakhsuvaryan told Itar-Tass on Friday.
“Our position is invariable. We will take part in the drill,” he
said. He noted that the exercises organizer – NATO – has not made any
changes in the program. “In addition, Yerevan does not have official
information about refusal of the Azerbaijani embassy in Tbilisi to
grant entry visas for the Armenian servicemen going to the drill in
Baku,” he said.
Armenian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Khachaturov said that Baku
protests against the participation of Armenian servicemen in the
exercises are formal.
“If Armenian officers are given permission to visit Baku, Azerbaijan
will have to provide for their security,” he said.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev said that
Armenia should abstain from participation in the Cooperative Best
Effort 2004 exercises.
“Baku is perplexed with the insistent wish of Armenia, which
occupied some of Azerbaijani lands, to take part in the exercises,”
Abiyev said. “Armenia does not recognize territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan. There are no diplomatic relations between our countries.
Is the participation of Armenian officers in the exercises in Baku
expedient?”
He said the Azerbaijani public objects to the visit of Armenian
servicemen.
“The insistence of Armenia may build up bilateral tension shortly
before the CIS summit in Astana,” where Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev and Armenian President Robert Kocharyan are expected to meet
with the Russian mediation, he said.
The news of Armenian servicemen’s visit agitated the Azerbaijani
public. A number of opposition parties, public and non-governmental
organizations will hold protests the day before the drill and on
the drill’s opening day. The Baku City Hall has authorized some of
the protests.
From: Baghdasarian