AZERBAIJANI TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY NOT QUESTIONED …

Interfax News Agency
June 26, 2008
Russia

The possible separation of Karabakh from Azerbaijan is not being
discussed at the settlement negotiations, President Ilham Aliyev said
during a military parade in Baku.

The negotiating parties do not doubt the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan and do not discuss possible ways to separate Karabakh from
Azerbaijan, he said.

We continue negotiations with Armenia. Yet the negotiations have been
on for a very long time, and people have grown tired of them.

Negotiations cannot last forever. True, we have achieved some positive
results, he said.

The unsettled Karabakh conflict makes Baku pay more attention to its
military might, the president said.

We must be prepared for the liberation of our lands any minute. We
have been suffering from this occupation for a decade. Thus, a strong
army is a priority of the nation, the government and each citizen,
Aliyev said.

Military expenditures are a primary spending item, he said. We will
assign as much funds as we need for defense. Currently, our defense
expenditures exceed $2 billion, which is ten times larger than in 2003.

Our defense expenditures will continue to grow, he said.

He said that this situation alarms international organizations.

However, we are increasing all the other state expenditures, as well.

Our state expenditures amounted to $1.3 billion in 2003. Now, the
nation’s consolidated budget exceeds $16 billion. They should not
view defense expenditures separately, he said.

Today’s parade will show a small part of our military potential.

People will see what our army is capable of doing, Aliyev said.