STALLING PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT NECESSITATES POWERFUL MILITARY – ALIYEV

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Oct 13 – 19, 2005

Azerbaijan is seeking a peaceful settlement of the Upper Garabagh
conflict but no results have been achieved in this area yet, which
prompts the country to continue strengthening its military power,
President Ilham Aliyev said at the ceremony of opening a new
administrative building of the Special State Guard Service last week.

Aliyev pointed out the need for establishing strong military
potential. “Only powerful Azerbaijani army will achieve liberation
of the country’s territories. If the peace talks turn out fruitless,
the occupied lands will be freed through military action,” he said.

President Aliyev said the government is increasing military spending
every year. Whereas military expenses made up $175 million in 2004,
the figure is $300 million this year and will reach $600 million in
2006. But in defiance of the Azeri President’s statement, Armenia
has cited rapprochement in the positions of the conflicting sides.

“The positions on the Armenian and Azeri sides have drawn closer on
a number of pivotal issues. A commonality of approaches is observed
on the status, security and territories. There is hope that with the
increasing number of such elements, they will be reflected on paper”,
Armenian media quoted the country’s foreign minister Vardan Oskanian as
saying. With regard to the conflict mediation, Oskanian said there is
no alternative to the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States,
Russia and France. Touching upon the possibility of transferring
the negotiations to a new format, notably, the Council of Europe,
which has been repeatedly proposed by Azerbaijan, Oskanian said: “The
discussions on the conflict resolution may take place anywhere. But
OSCE MG is the only entity for full-fledged talks on resolving the
problem. If a decision is made to consider the issue in a different
format, we will do so. But there is no alternative for the OSCE MG
today.” As for the participation of Upper Garabagh in the negotiations,
Oskanian said this is inevitable. “Someday Upper Garabagh will become
a full-fledged party in the negotiating process.

The Azeri side realizes this as well”, he claimed.