AZERBAIJAN CONCERNED ABOUT ARMENIA’S ARMAMENT WITHIN OACS: FOREIGN MINISTRY PRESS SECRETARY

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 8 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend S.Agayeva / The Press Secretary of the
Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, Khazar Ibrahim, said on 8 October that
Azerbaijan is concerned about the armament of Armenia, because of an
agreement by Russia to sell Russian arms with Russia’s internal prices
to the Countries of Organization of Agreement on Collective Security
(OACS).

The agreement on selling Russian arms with Russia’s internal prices
to OACS countries was signed during the Summit of OACS State Heads
which took place on 6 October in Dushanbe. Armenia has also joined
the organization.

"Azerbaijan hopes that Russia will understand the country’s concern
about delivering arms to Armenia within the agreement," Ibrahim said.

According to him, this decision has been made within the
organization. "However, considering that Russia is the co-chair of
the OSCE Minsk Group for Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, we believe that
Russia will take into consideration all details whilst taking such
steps," he said. Ibrahim said that the Azerbaijani side will present
its concerns to Russia in the case of violating the agreement on
flank arms within the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time active hostilities ended. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group (Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.