AZG Armenian Daily #206, 28/10/2006
Karabakh issue
SERGE SARGSIAN: AZERBAIJAN’S MILITARY OPTION WILL FAIL AGAIN
"Nagorno Karabakh conflict should be settled
peacefully and only through mutual concessions,"
Armenian defense minister Serge Sargsian stated in an
interview with Janes Intelligence Center that studies
military and security issues. Yet, he said that
Azerbaijan’s policy does not contribute to such a
settlement. "Today [Azerbaijani] officials are talking
about resuming the war. The country’s military
expenses were doubled last year," the minister said.
According to neutral experts, Azerbaijan is unable yet
to resolve the conflict militarily, Sargsian said. "If
hostilities resume, Armenia will again have
advantage." Touching upon Azerbaijan’s petrodollars
and the country’s desire to use them to bring a
solution to the Karabakh issue, the minister reminded
that in 90s Azerbaijan also had the odds as it had
more soldiers and more weaponry inherited from the
USSR. "They rounded up the Armenians of Karabakh, and
few believed that we can succeed. With all the
forecasts for big oil revenue, Azerbaijan won’t have
the odds it had 14-15 years ago. It’s military option
was a failure then and will be a failure today either.
Hopefully, sooner or later Azerbaijani authorities
will give up this approach."
Speaking about Armenia-NATO relations, Armenia’s
defense minister touched upon Turkey underscoring that
the latter’s policy has been damaging NATO’s authority
in Armenia. "Russia’s military base in Armenia was
founded in conditions of an external threat, and to a
certain degree served as deterrent for possible
aggression. Unfortunately, the threat is still there
as there was no considerable improvement in our
relations with Turkey. This country continues its
blockade of Armenia, which is in fact an act of
animosity towards us. Turkey also backs Azerbaijan in
Karabakh issue, and stipulates that Armenia should
attend to Azerbaijan’s whim if it wants improved of
relations with Turkey," Serge Sargsian said.
By Nana Petrosian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
