NKR DEFENSE MINISTER: AZERBAIJAN UNLIKELY TO WAGE A WAR

Lragir.am
07 July 06

Sabine Freizer, director of the Caucasian Program of the International
Crisis Group wondered in an interview with the Azerbaijani news agency
APA why Azerbaijan and Armenia are not worried by the statements of
the Minsk Group co-chairs. Especially that the co-chairs, in fact,
refused mediation and left the sides tete-a-tete. Sabine Freizer says
the war may ignite since Azerbaijan is increasingly preferring war
for the settlement of the conflict. Freizer warns the sides that the
international community will not interfere in case the war ignites. In
other words, the international community will be following one of the
parties defeating completely the other. Freizer only had to say when
and where the provocations will occur which will lead to confrontation,
and where the international force will be stationed.

It is interesting that this is not the first time these words were
voiced by a woman. Maybe in order to make them sound softer, or maybe
there is no man to threaten with a war.

The reporter of the Karabakh Open asked the NKR minister of defense
Seyran Ohanyan if there is intelligence information that Azerbaijan is
getting ready for a war. The minister says armed forces must constantly
be ready for defense. The army of Karabakh has set this goal. However,
according to Seyran Ohanyan, Azerbaijan is unlike to start war. "An
increase of the military budget does not mean effective use of funds,"
said the minister. He mentioned that Karabakh is not going to take
preventive actions, although the NKR government has a clearly worked
out plans for different developments.