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Azeri defence official dismisses Russian concerns over US presence in Caspian
Zerkalo, Baku
2 Dec 04
Excerpt from C. Sumerinli and C. Bayramova report by Azerbaijani
newspaper Zerkalo on 2 December headlined "Russia will hold joint
exercises with Azerbaijan in the Caspian" and subheaded "The Russians
intend to strengthen their military positions in the Caspian in order
to annoy the Americans"
"It cannot be ruled out that Azerbaijan and Russia will hold joint
naval exercises soon," the commander of Russia's Caspian navy,
Vice-Admiral Yuriy Startsev, said in an interview with Krasnaya Zvezda
yesterday [30 November].
The military-political situation in the Caspian region is not stable
because of the protracted settlement of the legal status of the
Caspian, he said. "Theoretically, it allows the littoral states to
define their borders within the water basin."
The vice-admiral also focused on the aggravation of relations between
the coastal states over the hydrocarbon deposits of the Caspian. He
said Russia is not happy at all with the efforts of the Caspian
nations to set up their own naval forces. The reason for concern is
the fact that these forces are being built with material and
military-technical support from the USA.
Meanwhile, Startsev said that the Russian side is continuing the
dialogue with Kazakhstan to provide its naval forces with two vessels
of the Russian navy. Besides, he said, within the framework of the
"Save the Caspian" programme, Russia intends to conduct joint naval
exercises with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. The Russian military is
expected to visit Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan shortly to realize this
idea.
[Passage omitted: irrelevant details]
Our northern neighbour also has plans to test its state-of-the-art
vessels in the Caspian, the commander-in-chief of the Russian navy,
Vladimir Kuroyedov, said. The vessels that were manufactured in 2000
and meet the interests of the navy will be tested in 2006. Occupying a
special place among those vessels is the Korvet warship.
It is interesting that Russia's military presence in the Caspian is
gradually increasing. Quite recently, official Moscow decided to
construct a military facility on the Russian-Azerbaijani border, while
[Russian President] Putin said yesterday that more than 70 border
checkpoints, several border headquarters and training centres would be
set up to ensure security in the North Caucasus.
[Passage omitted: irrelevant details]
In the meantime, experts believe that the establishment of checkpoints
on the Russian-Azerbaijani border is military pressure on
Azerbaijan. However, the head of the press service of the Azerbaijani
Defence Ministry, Ramiz Malikov, doesn't agree with it, saying that
aggression against our country comes from nowhere but Armenia.
The ministry has no information on the forthcoming naval exercises, he
said. He added that this issue will be clarified shortly.
No agreement was reached at the latest meeting of the defence
ministers of the CIS member states to conduct joint
Russian-Azerbaijani exercises, he said. Nevertheless, he noted that
the exercises of this sort have long become a tradition in the two
countries' navies.
Besides, Malikov stressed that Russia's concern about the formation of
naval forces with the financial and technical assistance of the USA is
groundless. Azerbaijan is an independent state and has the right to
decide which country it should cooperate with, he said.
Zerkalo, Baku
2 Dec 04
Excerpt from C. Sumerinli and C. Bayramova report by Azerbaijani
newspaper Zerkalo on 2 December headlined "Russia will hold joint
exercises with Azerbaijan in the Caspian" and subheaded "The Russians
intend to strengthen their military positions in the Caspian in order
to annoy the Americans"
"It cannot be ruled out that Azerbaijan and Russia will hold joint
naval exercises soon," the commander of Russia's Caspian navy,
Vice-Admiral Yuriy Startsev, said in an interview with Krasnaya Zvezda
yesterday [30 November].
The military-political situation in the Caspian region is not stable
because of the protracted settlement of the legal status of the
Caspian, he said. "Theoretically, it allows the littoral states to
define their borders within the water basin."
The vice-admiral also focused on the aggravation of relations between
the coastal states over the hydrocarbon deposits of the Caspian. He
said Russia is not happy at all with the efforts of the Caspian
nations to set up their own naval forces. The reason for concern is
the fact that these forces are being built with material and
military-technical support from the USA.
Meanwhile, Startsev said that the Russian side is continuing the
dialogue with Kazakhstan to provide its naval forces with two vessels
of the Russian navy. Besides, he said, within the framework of the
"Save the Caspian" programme, Russia intends to conduct joint naval
exercises with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. The Russian military is
expected to visit Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan shortly to realize this
idea.
[Passage omitted: irrelevant details]
Our northern neighbour also has plans to test its state-of-the-art
vessels in the Caspian, the commander-in-chief of the Russian navy,
Vladimir Kuroyedov, said. The vessels that were manufactured in 2000
and meet the interests of the navy will be tested in 2006. Occupying a
special place among those vessels is the Korvet warship.
It is interesting that Russia's military presence in the Caspian is
gradually increasing. Quite recently, official Moscow decided to
construct a military facility on the Russian-Azerbaijani border, while
[Russian President] Putin said yesterday that more than 70 border
checkpoints, several border headquarters and training centres would be
set up to ensure security in the North Caucasus.
[Passage omitted: irrelevant details]
In the meantime, experts believe that the establishment of checkpoints
on the Russian-Azerbaijani border is military pressure on
Azerbaijan. However, the head of the press service of the Azerbaijani
Defence Ministry, Ramiz Malikov, doesn't agree with it, saying that
aggression against our country comes from nowhere but Armenia.
The ministry has no information on the forthcoming naval exercises, he
said. He added that this issue will be clarified shortly.
No agreement was reached at the latest meeting of the defence
ministers of the CIS member states to conduct joint
Russian-Azerbaijani exercises, he said. Nevertheless, he noted that
the exercises of this sort have long become a tradition in the two
countries' navies.
Besides, Malikov stressed that Russia's concern about the formation of
naval forces with the financial and technical assistance of the USA is
groundless. Azerbaijan is an independent state and has the right to
decide which country it should cooperate with, he said.