EU COMMISSIONER WARNS AZERBAIJAN AGAINST STEEP RISE OF MILITARY SPENDING

Armenpress
Oct 03 2006

BAKU, OCTOBER 3, ARMENPRESS: EU External Relations Commissioner Benita
Ferrero-Waldner warned Azerbaijan that its plans to drastically step
up its military spending may result in further escalation of situation
in the volatile region, reminding that the European Union wants the
tension in the South Caucasus to ease as soon as possible.

Finish foreign minister Erki Tuomioja, who visited Baku as head of
EU Troika delegation, expressed hope that the Karabakh conflict will
be solved peacefully.

On Monday Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan will
never sign a peace agreement that would not meet the national interests
of the country.

"As a president, I will never sign it," he was quoted as saying by
Azeri news agencies. He also said that under a 2007 draft budget,
Azerbaijan’s defense expenditures will grow 17.8 percent to reach
900 million U.S. Dollars.

Trend news agency said in Baku the Finnish foreign minister whose
country holds now the rotating EU presidency, praised the OSCE Minsk
group for its efforts to help Armenia and Azerbaijan end their dispute.