APPOINTMENT OF CIVILIAN AS AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTER MAY BE DISCUSSED ONLY AFTER NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT IS SETTLED
Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
April 24 2008
Azerbaijan, Baku, 23 April / corr. TrendNews I. Alizade/ The
appointment of a civilian as a minister of defense or as a deputy
minister of defense is impossible at present and this issue can
be considered only after Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is solved. "A
civilian can not run a military sphere as Azerbaijan is in military
situation and Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not been solved yet,"
Siyavush Novruzov, the member of the permanent parliament commission
on security and defense and the member of Azerbaijani delegation in
NATO Parliament Assembly said to TrendNews on 23 April.
The assessment mission of NATO is in Azerbaijan at present to see
whether country meets Alliance’s standards. Organization believes that
it is important to increase the number of civilians in Azerbaijani
Defense Ministry and to appoint civilians as a defense minister or
deputy defense minister.
" Azerbaijan has not taken commitment before NATO to appoint a civilian
as a defense minister or deputy defense minister. NATO is well aware
that it is impossible to appoint a civilian as defense minister in
a country which is in military situation," Novruzov said.
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 the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.
According to Novruzov, official Baku has fulfilled commitments
taken before NATO and Alliance highly appreciates it. Azerbaijan is
cooperating with NATO and it is taking part in the organization’s
programs more than the other post-soviet countries.
Azerbaijan had been cooperating with NATO since 1994 within program
on Partnership for Peace. In 2005, Azerbaijan and Alliance signed
Individual Partnership Action Plan.