ARMENIAN FM BLAMES AZERBAIJAN FOR ESCALATION OF REGIONAL TENSIONS
Interfax, Russia
March 12 2015
YEREVAN. March 12
Azerbaijan has been straining tensions in the South Caucasian region
and rejects confidence-building proposals from mediators, Armenian
Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian said.
"This is a obvious fact that Azerbaijan is provoking tensions in our
region. Azerbaijan has increased its military budget 30 times from
$163 million to $5 billion. It is unlikely to find any other state
on the international arena that would increase its military budget
30 times," the Armenian Foreign Ministry's press service quoted
Nalbandian as saying in an interview with Slovenia's Delo newspaper.
"Azerbaijan also threatens to start new hostilities, a new war,"
he said.
"It is a common knowledge that a war is not a path to a solution and
that one should get back to the negotiating table after such wars. And
today we have a chance to continue the negotiations with the mediation
of the Minsk Group co-chairmen. The mediators made five statements
at the level of presidents on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. Armenia is ready to move to a settlement on this base,"
Nalbandian said.
"The whole reasonability for the escalation of the situation lies on
Azerbaijan because it is Azerbaijan that rejects the co-chairmen's
proposals, including the ones aimed at building confidence," he said.
Nalbandian visited Slovenia on March 9-10.
From: A. Papazian
Interfax, Russia
March 12 2015
YEREVAN. March 12
Azerbaijan has been straining tensions in the South Caucasian region
and rejects confidence-building proposals from mediators, Armenian
Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian said.
"This is a obvious fact that Azerbaijan is provoking tensions in our
region. Azerbaijan has increased its military budget 30 times from
$163 million to $5 billion. It is unlikely to find any other state
on the international arena that would increase its military budget
30 times," the Armenian Foreign Ministry's press service quoted
Nalbandian as saying in an interview with Slovenia's Delo newspaper.
"Azerbaijan also threatens to start new hostilities, a new war,"
he said.
"It is a common knowledge that a war is not a path to a solution and
that one should get back to the negotiating table after such wars. And
today we have a chance to continue the negotiations with the mediation
of the Minsk Group co-chairmen. The mediators made five statements
at the level of presidents on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. Armenia is ready to move to a settlement on this base,"
Nalbandian said.
"The whole reasonability for the escalation of the situation lies on
Azerbaijan because it is Azerbaijan that rejects the co-chairmen's
proposals, including the ones aimed at building confidence," he said.
Nalbandian visited Slovenia on March 9-10.
From: A. Papazian