Armenia trying to hamper talks by mass truce violations – Azeri spokesman

Ayna, Baku
10 Mar 05

Excerpt from report by C. Sumarinli in Azerbaijani newspaper Ayna on
10 March headlined “A military solution to the Karabakh conflict is
becoming a reality” and subheaded “The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry
warns: ‘If the Armenians continue this tension, we will liberate our
lands in a military way'”

The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry explains the latest tense situation on
the front line by three reasons. In an interview with Ayna, the head of
the ministry’s press service, Col Ramiz Malikov, said that it is first
of all connected with the resolution adopted at the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE], which describes Armenia
as an aggressor and the Karabakh forces as separatist ones. Second,
the planned settlement of Armenians in Nagornyy Karabakh and other
occupied districts at the state level was exposed by the OSCE
fact-finding mission, which gave an impetus to the activity of the
Armenian separatists. Third, one of the main reasons for the increasing
tension on the front line is the violation of single command principles
in the Armenian army. One can feel a lack of discipline, arbitrariness
and the violation of principles of subordination among the Armenian
servicemen in the occupied territories. The latest developments show
that anyone who gets hold of weapons on the Armenian side tries to
open fire at Azerbaijani servicemen.

To recap, the Armenians have been regularly firing on the positions
of the Azerbaijani armed forces since last week. Four Azerbaijani
servicemen were seriously wounded as a result.

[Passage omitted: details of the truce violation]

The Defence Ministry official described as nonsense the reports of
the Armenian newspaper Azg that five districts around Karabakh will
be handed over to Azerbaijan and Karabakh will be temporarily placed
under Armenian administration.

“We demand that they vacate our occupied territories. The will of
our president and people demands this. Nagornyy Karabakh should be
only under Azerbaijani administration. This is the opinion of the
international public as well, because there is no room for separatism
in the 21st century,” Malikov said.

He did not forget to warn the Armenians.

“We want to liberate our lands peacefully and call on the Armenians
to vacate our lands. If the Armenians put armed pressure on us,
they will get the answer they deserve and we will liberate our lands.”

[Passage omitted: minor details]

The increasing tension on the front line can be explained by the
Armenian side’s intention to prevent the negotiations, a source at
the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Ayna. The source said that
at present, the Armenians are trying to learn public opinion about
preparations for war in Armenia and Azerbaijan by exerting armed
pressure.

“Mass truce violations usually occur twice a year. This happens in
March-April or September-October. The Yerevan government is defining
the future outlines of the negotiations by this ‘cease-fire’,” the
source said.

[Passage omitted: reported details]