Tweet
Azerbaijan has chosen to integrate into Europe - defence minister
Turan news agency
27 Nov 04
Baku, 27 November: "The situation in the South Caucasus is still tense
and difficult. The cease-fire agreement has already been preserved
for 10 years, but the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict has not been
resolved so far," Azerbaijan's Defence Minister Safar Abiyev told
the Rose-Roth seminar of the NATO Parliament Assembly in Baku today.
Abiyev said that under Article 2 of NATO's Partnership for Peace
programme, the member countries of this programme have to recognize
the territorial integrity of other member states. However, Armenia
ignores this, and now the time has come for NATO to express its
position on this, he said.
Asked about Azerbaijan's military agreements with Russia, Abiyev said
that Azerbaijan has no commitments "to pursue a balanced policy" and
that Baku has chosen to integrate into Euro-Atlantic structures. For
Azerbaijan, ensuring its own security and independence is above
everything, Abiyev said.
Abiyev said that currently Azerbaijan's armed forces consist of 70,000
people, including 4,000 civilians. Military spending will account
for 2.3 per cent of GDP in 2005, Abiyev said. He told reporters
that Azerbaijan is not planning to increase the number of its troops
in Iraq.
Turan news agency
27 Nov 04
Baku, 27 November: "The situation in the South Caucasus is still tense
and difficult. The cease-fire agreement has already been preserved
for 10 years, but the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict has not been
resolved so far," Azerbaijan's Defence Minister Safar Abiyev told
the Rose-Roth seminar of the NATO Parliament Assembly in Baku today.
Abiyev said that under Article 2 of NATO's Partnership for Peace
programme, the member countries of this programme have to recognize
the territorial integrity of other member states. However, Armenia
ignores this, and now the time has come for NATO to express its
position on this, he said.
Asked about Azerbaijan's military agreements with Russia, Abiyev said
that Azerbaijan has no commitments "to pursue a balanced policy" and
that Baku has chosen to integrate into Euro-Atlantic structures. For
Azerbaijan, ensuring its own security and independence is above
everything, Abiyev said.
Abiyev said that currently Azerbaijan's armed forces consist of 70,000
people, including 4,000 civilians. Military spending will account
for 2.3 per cent of GDP in 2005, Abiyev said. He told reporters
that Azerbaijan is not planning to increase the number of its troops
in Iraq.