Point of View / Sevdimali.clan.su
Azeri diplomat says global economic crisis will force Armenia to give up its ungrounded demands
Araz Azimov has said Azerbaijan, by growing its economy, its military and its image as a stable partner for the West, was trying to convince Armenia of the need to compromise.
-The global economic crisis would force Armenia to give up demands for independence for the occupied territories, adding "the time has come to think realistically for them.", Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has said in his interview with Reuters.
Azimov said Azerbaijan, by growing its economy, its military and its image as a stable partner for the West, was trying to convince Armenia of the need to compromise.
But he denied Baku was looking for war, saying: "It's good to have a strong army, it's even better not to use it."
"We never said and we never say that we shall go to war with Armenia," he said. But with Armenia insisting on independence for the region, "I have to say that in all circumstances and by all means we will restore territorial integrity."
Azumov also touched upon Russia`s recent massive arms and amunition supply to Armenia, its foe in one of the most intractable conflicts arising from the Soviet Union's collapse.
Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov denied his country's oil-financed military expansion meant it was planning war to take back the region of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenians, and said there was "no miracle" in sight to resolve the dispute.
"Armenia is being supplied by its military ally, Russia," Azimov, who is responsible for security issues at the foreign ministry, said in an interview with Reuters.
He said Moscow was equipping Armenia, its closest ally in the Caucasus, under cover of restocking its military hardware at the Russian military base in the Armenian town of Gyumri.
"We know that from time to time Russia is maintaining its presence in Gyumri. When new pieces are brought in, what happens to the old ones?" he said. "Things are coming in, and nothing is coming out."
Both Moscow and Yerevan have vehemently denied that Russia is supplying a military build-up in Armenia. Russia says it moved some troops and equipment to Gyumri after they pulled out of bases in neighbouring Georgia under an arms control pact.
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