AZERI ARMY CAN FREE OCCUPIED LANDS – DEFENSE MINISTER

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
August 31, 2006 Thursday 2:26 PM MSK

The Azeri army is strong and can cope with any tasks facing it, Defense
Minister Safar Abiyev said answering a question about the chances of
Turkey giving assistance should hostilities with Armenia resume.

"If a war [with Armenia] breaks out, the Azeri army won’t need the
assistance of the Turkish Armed Forces," he said.

Azerbaijan is building up its capacities in procuring the necessary
arms and hardware for its army, he said.

"Azerbaijan will continue to boost its might for as long as Azeri
lands remain occupied," Abiyev said.

Azeri media reports that EU Commissioner for External Relations
Benita Ferrero-Waldner sharply criticized Georgia and Azerbaijan for
growing defense spending at an international conference in Slovenia
last week. She said that spiraling defense spending in a region
requiring higher spending on education, health and small business is
poor policy- making.

Baku lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts
during in an armed conflict with Armenia in the early 1990s.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress