Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 15, 2005, Monday

AZERBAIJAN EXPENDITURE ON DEFENSE IS RISING

SOURCE: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, August 12, 2005, p. 4

The forthcoming deployment of part of the Russian military equipment
from Georgia to Armenia poses serious problems to state security,
they consider in the Ministry of Defense of the republic. According
to the source in the Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense, “for deployment
of Russian military hardware sites have been allotted Armenia
and Azerbaijan boundary regions of Tavush, Berd and Idjevan.” The
newspaper’s interviewer says that at moment Russian military base 102
in Gryumi is incapable of receiving all the military equipment brought
from Georgia. To solve this problem the authorities of Armenia have
rented new areas on the border with Azerbaijan.

No doubt in Baku they are concerned with the perspective and take
adequate measures. In the first place, they reconsider the budget
item on military department backing. According to official data,
the expenditure on strengthening the state defense capacity has risen
$50,000,000 and today reaches $300,000,000. Alongwith that there is
strengthening connections with military departments of Turkey, whose
brass are regular guests in Baku. Certain steps are taken to improve
military cooperation with the USA. The press in Baku says that in
a private meeting of Azerbaijan minister of foreign affairs, Elmar
Mamedjarov and the Pentagon command in Washington, the main topic of
discussion was the movement of Russian military equipment to Armenia.
In the MFA of Azerbaijan they prefer not to talk about it, however
they confirm that in the course of the overseas visit they also
conferred about political military situation in the South Caucasus.

Many experts in Baku consider that cooperation with the USA would go
beyond financial and engineering aid. Many American experts think the
same. In particular Michael Baranik, the representative of the Center
of National Security Technique and Policy at the National Defense
University, the USA, is sure that “Azerbaijan would be a country
of great importance for the USA.” Analyzing, Baranik mentions that,
“If we must leave Uzbekistan, somebody has to start negotiations on
the disposition of bases in Azerbaijan.”

This statement was announced in the situation reports leaked to the
media about the fact that the chief of the Pentagon, Donald Ramsfeld,
is going to visit Baku. Local analysts forecast that as a result of
this call Baku can think better of its stand and agree to an American
presence in its territory. By this, the Azerbaijani authorities,
according to experts, would solve at least two problems: create a
counter-weight to Russian military power in Armenia and achieve a
loyal attitude on the part of Washington by the sums forthcoming in
November parliamentary elections.