AZERI OFFICIAL WARNS RUSSIA AGAINST ARMS SUPPLIES TO ARMENIA

Day.az website, Baku
6 Aug 07

6 August: As can be seen, Armenia is trying to actively arm itself
and increase its military potential, which Azerbaijan will not allow
to happen, the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry,
Xazar Ibrahim, has said.

He pointed out that the story with Albanian arms supplies to Armenia
showed that Azerbaijan can counter this and that our counter-measures
are effective.

"Azerbaijan is working in all directions to prevent arms supplies to
Armenia. According to international law, arms supplies to an occupier
country are illegal. It will be regretted if Russia tries to supply
arms to Armenia at a time when the whole world sees Armenia as an
aggressor country," he said.

At the same time, the head of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry press
service stressed that Russia has an opportunity to help Armenia
with arms within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization, but the Russian co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group
to settle the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict should hold Russia back.

"It would be illogical if Russia, as a country brokering the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict settlement, tried to supply weapons to Armenia,
a country that is one of the sides to the conflict. This will run
counter to its status and role as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group,"
Ibrahim said in conclusion.