Today, Azerbaijan
Jan 24 2007

Ganira Pashayeva offers to hold monitoring on Armenia’s weapons
placed in occupied Azeri lands

24 January 2007 [21:22] – Today.Az

Member of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe (PACE), parliamentarian Ganira Pashayeva
presented written questionnaire to the Committee of Ministers on
"Armenia’s violating principles of European Convention on Firearms."

Parliamentarian told the APA that the determination of the number of
military equipment and weapons of the Post Soviet countries after
USSR downfall was noted in the questionnaire.

"The population, area, as well as military-political situation of the
countries was not taken into consideration while distribution. Though
Azerbaijan’s population and area is triple of Armenia, the number of
military equipment and weapons were equal. The number of personal
staff of the armed forces was determined 60 000 for Armenia with 3
million population and 70 000 for Azerbaijan with 8 million
population. According to the world practice, the number of armed
forces to ensure the security of the country makes up 1% of the whole
population. The main duty of armed forces of every country is to
ensure the territorial integrity. How can a state with triple area of
the other state ensure the security with the same number of military
equipment? So, it caused military disbalance in the region, and
resulted in Azerbaijan’s occupation by Armenia."

The document also notes that Russia gave Armenia illegal armament in
1995-1996 and a part of those armaments have been placed in occupied
Azerbaijani territories. All these happened after Armenia joined to
law on "common armed forces in Europe in the frame of OSCE" and
"Vienna document on strengthening of trust and safety."

The document notes that the Armenia’s information on traditional
annual military report of OSCE member states is not real. The
questionnaire stresses that Armenia continues to arm, violating the
rules of "Common Armed forces in Europe."

"Armenian became an arm passing center for international
organizations and regimes, and has created conditions for
international terrorist organizations to prepare terrorists.
Different illicit drugs and the components of weapons of mass
annihilation are passed from this point to different countries and it
menaces the stability and safety of region countries. OSCE monitoring
mission has confirmed the fact Armenians are placed in occupied
Azerbaijani territories which contradicts the international legal
norms."

Pashayeva asked the Cabinet of Ministers what measures can be taken
to estimate Armenian’s moves and about the possibility of holding
monitoring on armaments by CE in occupied Azerbaijani territories.

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