Tweet
EXPERT: KARABAKH CONFLICT SERIOUSLY AFFECTS AZERBAIJAN'S RELATIONS WITH GLOBAL AND REGIONAL SUPER POWERS
arminfo
Monday, May 21, 14:12
The Karabakh conflict seriously affects Azerbaijan's relations with
global and regional super powers and Baku is well aware of that.
Therefore, Azerbaijan wages its policy in line with the changing
regional policy of super powers, writes Dr Brenda Shaffer, Israel's
foremost expert on Azerbaijan, the president-elect of the Foreign
Policy Section of the American Political Science Association,
a faculty member at the University of Haifa, in her item in the
Caucasus International magazine.
However, she writes, over the 20 years of independence Azerbaijan has
revised its foreign policy strategy regarding the Karabakh conflict.
In the first decade there was a strong trust in the international
institutions and the International Law. Azerbaijan believed
they would help it resolve the Karabakh conflict. Simultaneously
Azerbaijan carried out a serious diplomatic activity introducing its
stance at various foreign political platforms pinning hope with the
world community's support. Azerbaijan hoped that support by various
countries and international organizations would have positive impact
on resolution of the conflict, Shaffer writes.
Nevertheless, she thinks, in the second decade Baku began to pay more
attention to military budget and armament. As a result, Shaffer thinks,
Azerbaijan has significantly improved the quality of the Armed Forces.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Azerbaijan increased the military
budget 89% over the last year, which is the highest growth of the
military budget in the world for such a short period of time. Earlier
Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Artur Rasizade said that Azerbaijan had
increased its military expenditures over the last 8 years over 20fold.
In Azerbaijan, military spending increased by 39.74 million manats to
1.36 billion manats (about 1.73 billion U.S. dollars) in 2011. It is
also reported that for 2012 Azerbaijan's military spending account for
15 percent of its overall annual budget, increasing to 1.38 billion
manats (about 1.77 billion U.S. dollars). The military budget for
2012 will total around 400 million dollars.
arminfo
Monday, May 21, 14:12
The Karabakh conflict seriously affects Azerbaijan's relations with
global and regional super powers and Baku is well aware of that.
Therefore, Azerbaijan wages its policy in line with the changing
regional policy of super powers, writes Dr Brenda Shaffer, Israel's
foremost expert on Azerbaijan, the president-elect of the Foreign
Policy Section of the American Political Science Association,
a faculty member at the University of Haifa, in her item in the
Caucasus International magazine.
However, she writes, over the 20 years of independence Azerbaijan has
revised its foreign policy strategy regarding the Karabakh conflict.
In the first decade there was a strong trust in the international
institutions and the International Law. Azerbaijan believed
they would help it resolve the Karabakh conflict. Simultaneously
Azerbaijan carried out a serious diplomatic activity introducing its
stance at various foreign political platforms pinning hope with the
world community's support. Azerbaijan hoped that support by various
countries and international organizations would have positive impact
on resolution of the conflict, Shaffer writes.
Nevertheless, she thinks, in the second decade Baku began to pay more
attention to military budget and armament. As a result, Shaffer thinks,
Azerbaijan has significantly improved the quality of the Armed Forces.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Azerbaijan increased the military
budget 89% over the last year, which is the highest growth of the
military budget in the world for such a short period of time. Earlier
Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Artur Rasizade said that Azerbaijan had
increased its military expenditures over the last 8 years over 20fold.
In Azerbaijan, military spending increased by 39.74 million manats to
1.36 billion manats (about 1.73 billion U.S. dollars) in 2011. It is
also reported that for 2012 Azerbaijan's military spending account for
15 percent of its overall annual budget, increasing to 1.38 billion
manats (about 1.77 billion U.S. dollars). The military budget for
2012 will total around 400 million dollars.