Baku Today, Azerbaijan
June 8 2005

Azerbaijani Minister: South Caucasus Needs Demilitarization

08/06/2005 08:25

The Russian news agency RIA Novosti quotes Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mamedyarov as saying that the transfer of Russian
military bases from Georgia to Armenia is not illegal.

`Bases will be transferred not to Armenia, but to the Russian
military base deployed in Armenia and in terms of legality, there is
no problem in this. However, we consider the issue this way – our
region [South Caucasus] needs demilitarization rather than
militarization. Hence, there is no need to keep troops and tanks
here,’ RIA Novosti quotes Mamedyarov as saying.

He said that as soon as Moscow and Tbilisi finalize the agreement on
the pullout of Russian military bases from Georgia, `we will analyze
this issue and take relevant steps.’

Recently, official Baku sent a protest note to Moscow regarding the
transfer of Russian military bases to Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress