NAGORNO-KARABAKH SETTLEMENT TALKS CANNOT LAST FOREVER – AZERI OFFICIAL

Interfax
June 26 2009
Russia

The fact that Azerbaijan is bolstering its defense capacity is a
logical consequence of the country’s general development and a move
needed to ensure the just resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
Fuad Akhundov of the Azeri presidential administration said.

"Recently, Armenian politicians, including representatives of foreign
diaspora, and western experts more and more often use the military
aspects of speeches by our president to justify the conclusion that
Baku is not ready for peace and is preparing for war. The president
knows perfectly about this, and all his tough statements on Karabakh
are not accidental," Akhundov told Interfax commenting on Wednesday
statement by Aliyev after a joint exercise of troops of the Azeri
Interior and Defense ministries and the Azeri Border Service.

"I am deeply convinced that the president quite consciously repeats
the same idea addressed to Armenia and the world’s leading powers
involved in the negotiations under the OSCE (Organization for Security
and Co-operation in Europe) auspice. Yes, we are for a political
resolution, but no one can deprive us of the indefensible right to
individual self-defense provided by the UN Charter," he said.