Azeri president in favour of increasing military spending

ANS TV, Baku
25 Jun 05

[Presenter] The Azerbaijani army is the strongest in the Caucasus,
President Ilham Aliyev has said. Aliyev said military spending will
increase every year. He said this was a response to the relocation of
Russia’s military bases from Georgia to Armenia. Quote, we are taking
the necessary measures to eliminate problems.

[President Aliyev, shown speaking to cadets] In 2003, Azerbaijan’s
military spending totalled 135m dollars. It was 175m dollars in 2004
and 300m dollars in 2005. The military spending has increased by 70
per cent in a year.

We will continue this policy in the future. As you know, the Milli
Maclis [parliament] recently amended the military budget on the basis
of my letter. This is in connection with the fact that Russia is
relocating its bases from Georgia to Armenia. It is true that the
military hardware will not be handed over to Armenia. It will be kept
in Russia’s military bases. But we also know that they are being
relocated to Armenian territory.

So we had to take appropriate measures. We did so immediately and
increased our military spending. Military spending will continue to
increase in the future. As Azerbaijan’s economic potential grows, the
country will resolve all its problems.

The most important issue for us is that the Azerbaijani army should be
strong enough to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict. Today the Azerbaijani army is the strongest in the South
Caucasus. We have achieved this military supremacy and we should
strengthen it. This supremacy should be stronger. And we will achieve
this as well.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress