Tweet
BAKU DISMISSES CRITICISM FROM ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTER
news.az
July 21 2010
Azerbaijan
Eldar Sabiroglu Azerbaijani Defence Ministry spokesman Eldar
Sabiroglu has dismissed Armenian accusations that Baku threatens
regional stability.
Armenian Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan made the accusations in an
interview with Russian news agency Interfax. A few hours after the
interview was released yesterday, Interfax removed it, but it remains
available on other media with reference to the original source,
1 news.az reported.
Azerbaijani spokesman Eldar Sabiroglu commented that the interviewer
seemed to be biased: "It should be noted that the very formulation of
the questions in the interview favoured the Armenian minister. The
journalist who put the questions clearly had close relations with
Ohanyan, but this is a personal matter for the information agency
and we don't want to interfere."
On the Karabakh conflict, Sabiroglu said that the Armenian minister
had spoken openly and in a more excited tone about the commitments
on protection given to Armenia by Russia and the Collective Security
Treaty Organization. "Ohanyan completely showed his hand," 1 news.az
reported the spokesman as saying.
"To oppose this, I state that the need to settle the Karabakh conflict
within the framework of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is
an irrefutable fact that will ensure stability in the South Caucasus.
There is no other way. The longer they draw out the occupation,
the more difficult will be the situation in the region," Sabiroglu
continued.
Referring to the Madrid principles which the OSCE would like to see
as a basis for peace talks, Sabiroglu said, "Ohanyan talks about
everything but the Madrid principles and it's clear why he does so.
Until the Armenian leadership gives up on the idea of continuing the
occupation, a peace settlement will remain on the back burner."
"Voicing his concerns that the Azerbaijani military budget has topped
$2bn, Ohanyan accuses Azerbaijan of a bellicose policy. However,
elementary logic dismisses Ohanyan's words since Azerbaijan has not
occupied an inch of anyone else's land, not even Armenian territory.
It is Armenia that is occupying Azerbaijani land.
"Therefore, the choice of any admissible way to liberate its lands from
occupation is Azerbaijan's sovereign right. Armenian aggression has
continued for 20 years. Over a million Azerbaijanis lost their homes
as a result of this aggression and a great many cultural monuments
and cemeteries have been ruined. The world knows about it.
The UN Security Council and the Council of Europe adopted four
well-known resolutions against the occupying policy of Armenia which
name the occupier and the country that is pursuing this bloody policy.
Certainly, the Armenian minister cannot speak about it, since his
role in the unjust policy and the Khojaly tragedy is also great,"
the spokesman said.
"This is all clear. The resolution of the Karabakh conflict beyond
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is admissible and President
Ilham Aliyev has said this repeatedly and openly. International
law also does not refute this. The Armenian minister should know
full well that no international organization or state recognizes
Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent structure. This is absurd. The
continuation of unsuccessful attempts in this direction may cause
damage to Armenia," Sabiroglu said.
The latest spat between the Armenian and Azerbaijani defence
ministries follows the unsuccessful talks at the weekend between the
two countries' foreign ministers, mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group. In
an uncharacteristically blunt statement after the talks the mediators
said, "The efforts made so far by the parties to the conflict have
not been sufficient to overcome their differences."
From: A. Papazian
news.az
July 21 2010
Azerbaijan
Eldar Sabiroglu Azerbaijani Defence Ministry spokesman Eldar
Sabiroglu has dismissed Armenian accusations that Baku threatens
regional stability.
Armenian Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan made the accusations in an
interview with Russian news agency Interfax. A few hours after the
interview was released yesterday, Interfax removed it, but it remains
available on other media with reference to the original source,
1 news.az reported.
Azerbaijani spokesman Eldar Sabiroglu commented that the interviewer
seemed to be biased: "It should be noted that the very formulation of
the questions in the interview favoured the Armenian minister. The
journalist who put the questions clearly had close relations with
Ohanyan, but this is a personal matter for the information agency
and we don't want to interfere."
On the Karabakh conflict, Sabiroglu said that the Armenian minister
had spoken openly and in a more excited tone about the commitments
on protection given to Armenia by Russia and the Collective Security
Treaty Organization. "Ohanyan completely showed his hand," 1 news.az
reported the spokesman as saying.
"To oppose this, I state that the need to settle the Karabakh conflict
within the framework of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is
an irrefutable fact that will ensure stability in the South Caucasus.
There is no other way. The longer they draw out the occupation,
the more difficult will be the situation in the region," Sabiroglu
continued.
Referring to the Madrid principles which the OSCE would like to see
as a basis for peace talks, Sabiroglu said, "Ohanyan talks about
everything but the Madrid principles and it's clear why he does so.
Until the Armenian leadership gives up on the idea of continuing the
occupation, a peace settlement will remain on the back burner."
"Voicing his concerns that the Azerbaijani military budget has topped
$2bn, Ohanyan accuses Azerbaijan of a bellicose policy. However,
elementary logic dismisses Ohanyan's words since Azerbaijan has not
occupied an inch of anyone else's land, not even Armenian territory.
It is Armenia that is occupying Azerbaijani land.
"Therefore, the choice of any admissible way to liberate its lands from
occupation is Azerbaijan's sovereign right. Armenian aggression has
continued for 20 years. Over a million Azerbaijanis lost their homes
as a result of this aggression and a great many cultural monuments
and cemeteries have been ruined. The world knows about it.
The UN Security Council and the Council of Europe adopted four
well-known resolutions against the occupying policy of Armenia which
name the occupier and the country that is pursuing this bloody policy.
Certainly, the Armenian minister cannot speak about it, since his
role in the unjust policy and the Khojaly tragedy is also great,"
the spokesman said.
"This is all clear. The resolution of the Karabakh conflict beyond
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is admissible and President
Ilham Aliyev has said this repeatedly and openly. International
law also does not refute this. The Armenian minister should know
full well that no international organization or state recognizes
Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent structure. This is absurd. The
continuation of unsuccessful attempts in this direction may cause
damage to Armenia," Sabiroglu said.
The latest spat between the Armenian and Azerbaijani defence
ministries follows the unsuccessful talks at the weekend between the
two countries' foreign ministers, mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group. In
an uncharacteristically blunt statement after the talks the mediators
said, "The efforts made so far by the parties to the conflict have
not been sufficient to overcome their differences."
From: A. Papazian