Day.Az, Azerbaijan
March 6, 2008, Thursday

AZERI DEFENCE MINISTER VISITS FRONT-LINE DISTRICT BORDERING BREAKAWAY
KARABAKH

6 March: Azerbaijani Defence Minister Safar Abiyev is visiting Tartar
District. The Defence Ministry press servicehas confirmed the report
to a Day.az correspondent.

The press service said that the executive authorities of Tartar
district are holding a meeting on the results of the year 2007.

"Safar Abiyev is taking part in the meeting. Apart from him, MP Aynur
Quliyeva, who was elected from thedistrict, is also visiting the
district," the press service said.

The source said that the minister’s trip is not linked with the 4
March tension on the front line in TartarDistrict [the shoot-out
between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in which both sides
sustained casualties].

"It is pure coincidence that Safar Abiyev visits Tartar District when
the situation on the front line is likethis. The defence minister
every year takes part in a sitting on the results of a previous year.
These events simplycoincided this time," the ministry press service
said.

[APA news agency, Baku, in Azeri 1107 gmt 6 Mar 08 quoted Abiyev as
saying: "If Armenia attempts to stageprovocation again, it will face
more substantial response." He explained the tension in the front
line zone withdomestic situation Armenia. "The situation that has
lately developed on the front line is linked with the domestic
political and social situation in Armenia," APA quoted Abiyev as
saying.]