AZERI ARMY THE STRONGEST IN REGION – ALIYEV
Interfax, Russia
April 22 2008
Azerbaijan will spend more money on increasing the combat capability
of its army, while the Azeri army is today the strongest in the region,
Azeri President Ilkham Aliyev said.
Speaking about preparations for the upcoming military parade dedicated
to the 90th anniversary of the National Army of Azerbaijan, Aliyev
said that one of the goals of this event is to show the military
might of the country.
Let the whole Azeri people see this, let our friends be happy about
this and let out enemies understand that Azerbaijan has the strongest
army in the region, the Azeri president said.
Azerbaijan marks the National Army Day on April 26. The last military
parade took place on the day in 1992. This year the parade will take
place on the largest square in Azerbaijan – Liberty Square – in Baku,
the president said.
We have the largest military potential and the strongest army, both
from the point of view of training and technical provision, Aliyev
said visiting a military unit.
The Armenian authorities do not have the right to state that Azerbaijan
arms itself at the expense of oil incomes.
Primarily, we spend our own money: both oil incomes and the funds
acquired thanks to the development of non-oil industries. Unlike
Armenia, we increased military expenditures ten times in the past four
years, and we will increase them again soon. Secondly, the Armenian
authorities would rather count their own pennies. In any case we,
unlike Armenia, are not one’s outpost and spend our funds as we like,
this is up to us, the president said.
Azerbaijan will continue to take every necessary measure to liberate
the Armenia-occupied territories, the president said, adding that the
Azeri economic development rates, incomparable to the Armenian ones,
serve for this goal.
We hold our economic potential in our hands, unlike Armenia, and
our borders are protected by our own soldiers, not border troops
of other countries, as is the case there, Aliyev said, according to
local TV channels.