Pan Armenian News

TRANSPORTATION OF RUSSIAN ARMAMENTS TO ARMENIA – BAKU THREATENED MOSCOW WITH
`RETALIATORY MEASURES’

08.06.2005 06:11

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ When commenting on the dislocation of the Russian military
bases from Georgia to Armenia Azeri FM Elmar Mamedyarov threatened Russia
with `retaliatory measures’ without going into detail however, IA Regnum
reports. To note, some Azeri media report that Azerbaijan is likely to sever
cooperation with Russia on the Gabali Radio location station lease. Earlier,
Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade hinted at possible `retaliatory
measures’. As Zerkalo newspaper writes these measures can appear as
denouncement of the agreement on Gabali Radio location station lease or
admission of US bases to the Azeri territory as `quick reaction forces’ or
`Caspian guards’. At that both variants can supplement each other. `Anyway
the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister has already made a formal statement on the
issue. It only remains to wait and judge how far Azerbaijan can go’, the
daily writes. At the same time well known political scientist Rasim
Musabekov told Nezavisimaya Gazeta Azeri newspaper that Gabali radiolocation
station will not close until the agreement between the two states is
expired. To note, the agreement provides for rather favorable conditions for
the Russian party. As for the further development, the station can be
liquidated. The possibility can be proved by Azerbaijan’s close cooperation
with Turkey, US and NATO without taking into consideration the presence of
the Russian military base. According to Musabekov, the amount of the Russian
armament in the Caucasus is conditioned by the Agreement on Armament in
Europe signed at the Istanbul summit of the heads of European states. `The
occurrence of the armament, let it be Georgia or Armenia does not matter for
the signatories. Russia will base it in Armenia due to the Georgian quote.
Thus formally, nothing changes for Russia and Azerbaijan. The matter is that
support to Armenia is offered openly now. With its military presence in
Armenia Russia is sheltering it from Turkey and stimulating its
non-constructive role in the region’, Rasim Musabekov said.