AZERI MINISTER SAYS DISPATCH OF PEACEKEEPERS TO LEBANON NOT ON AGENDA

Ekspress, Baku
31 Aug 06

Excerpt from unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress
on 31 August headlined "The dispatch of soldiers to Lebanon is not
a subject of discussion"

"The dispatch of Azerbaijani peacekeeping forces as part of the
international peacekeeping contingent to Lebanon is not a subject
of discussion," Azerbaijani Defence Minister Safar Abiyev has told
journalists. The minister said that Azerbaijan had been made no
proposals about the dispatch of its peacekeeping contingent to Lebanon.

Abiyev said that the Azerbaijani army would not need help of
the Turkish armed forces should war starts [with Armenia]. "The
Azerbaijani army is able of doing everything and can itself conduct
all operations," he said.

[Passage omitted: Abiyev did not give details of discussions about
GUAM armed forces]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress