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"POSSIBILITY TO PREVENT ARMAMENT SUPPLY FROM SERBIA TO ARMENIA REMAINS"
Says Asim Mollazade, member of the Azerbaijani parliament
by S. Rzaev
Translated by Pavel Pushkin
Source: Echo (Baku), January 15, 2007, p. EV
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 15, 2007 Monday
AZERBAIJAN HOPES TO PREVENT SMALL ARMS SUPPLY FROM SERBIA TO ARMENIA;
Serbian company Zastava received the final decision about the supply
of weapons to Armenia. Armenian mass media reported that at the first
stage, Zastava will deliver small arms worth approximately $2 million
to Yerevan. Asim Mollazade, member of Azerbaijani parliament and member
of the permanent parliamentary commission for international affairs
and inter-parliamentary relations, expressed his opinion about the
"weapon" scandal in an interview.
Serbian company Zastava received the final decision about the supply
of weapons to Armenia. Armenian mass media report that at the first
stage Zastava will deliver small arms worth approximately $2 million
to Yerevan. Some time ago, an incident in armament supplies from
Serbia to Armenia resulted in a scandal inside of the government in
Belgrade. Foreign Minister of Serbia Vuk Draskovic spoke against the
weapon export. He emphasized that OSCE vetoed the armament sale to
Armenia and Azerbaijan because of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Khazar Ibragim, senior secretary of the information policy and press
department of the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, reported that Baku
issued instructions to the diplomatic mission of the country in the
OSCE headquarters in Vienna. Ibragimov says that even though the
matter concerns supplies of light small arms that are not subject
to the treaty on conventional armed forces in Europe, the matter is
still about regional security. Asim Mollazade, member of Azerbaijani
parliament and member of the permanent parliamentary commission for
international affairs and inter-parliamentary relations, expressed
his opinion about the "weapon" scandal in an interview.
Question: What can Azerbaijan do in this situation?
Mollazade: Azerbaijan can state its official protest, which will
further strengthen the positions of the Foreign Minister of Serbia
who advocates suspension of armament exports to Yerevan.
Question: The Armenian party insists that regardless of all disputes
Serbian weapons will be delivered to it and all permits have already
been issued.
Mollazade: I think a possibility to prevent armament supply from
Serbia to Armenia remains because of the stance inside of the Serbian
government. For example, the position of Foreign Minister Draskovic.
For us this is a good opportunity to attract the attention of the
international community to the armament race in Armenia.
Question: What if the Serbian armament is supplied to Armenia? Will
this create a new precedent?
Mollazade: Weapons have been supplied even before this. Thus, Armenia
is armed to the teeth. I do not rule out that even Yerevan trades
in some kinds of weapons now. It is quite possible that Armenia
is a transit country in the transfer and resale of weapons. It is
necessary to attract the attention of the international community to
such facts. The cooperation of Armenia with international terrorist
organizations is known to everyone and it is impossible
to know whether or not this armament will end up in the hands of
terrorists.
Question: Will this incident impact relations between Baku and
Belgrade?
Mollazade: It is possible to try to convey the whole truth about the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to Serbia. It is also
necessary to say that today Yerevan tries to make certain comparisons
between the conflict in Kosovo and in Nagorno-Karabakh. We are obliged
to inform the Serbian public of whom they support now and to whom
they supply weapons.
Says Asim Mollazade, member of the Azerbaijani parliament
by S. Rzaev
Translated by Pavel Pushkin
Source: Echo (Baku), January 15, 2007, p. EV
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 15, 2007 Monday
AZERBAIJAN HOPES TO PREVENT SMALL ARMS SUPPLY FROM SERBIA TO ARMENIA;
Serbian company Zastava received the final decision about the supply
of weapons to Armenia. Armenian mass media reported that at the first
stage, Zastava will deliver small arms worth approximately $2 million
to Yerevan. Asim Mollazade, member of Azerbaijani parliament and member
of the permanent parliamentary commission for international affairs
and inter-parliamentary relations, expressed his opinion about the
"weapon" scandal in an interview.
Serbian company Zastava received the final decision about the supply
of weapons to Armenia. Armenian mass media report that at the first
stage Zastava will deliver small arms worth approximately $2 million
to Yerevan. Some time ago, an incident in armament supplies from
Serbia to Armenia resulted in a scandal inside of the government in
Belgrade. Foreign Minister of Serbia Vuk Draskovic spoke against the
weapon export. He emphasized that OSCE vetoed the armament sale to
Armenia and Azerbaijan because of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Khazar Ibragim, senior secretary of the information policy and press
department of the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, reported that Baku
issued instructions to the diplomatic mission of the country in the
OSCE headquarters in Vienna. Ibragimov says that even though the
matter concerns supplies of light small arms that are not subject
to the treaty on conventional armed forces in Europe, the matter is
still about regional security. Asim Mollazade, member of Azerbaijani
parliament and member of the permanent parliamentary commission for
international affairs and inter-parliamentary relations, expressed
his opinion about the "weapon" scandal in an interview.
Question: What can Azerbaijan do in this situation?
Mollazade: Azerbaijan can state its official protest, which will
further strengthen the positions of the Foreign Minister of Serbia
who advocates suspension of armament exports to Yerevan.
Question: The Armenian party insists that regardless of all disputes
Serbian weapons will be delivered to it and all permits have already
been issued.
Mollazade: I think a possibility to prevent armament supply from
Serbia to Armenia remains because of the stance inside of the Serbian
government. For example, the position of Foreign Minister Draskovic.
For us this is a good opportunity to attract the attention of the
international community to the armament race in Armenia.
Question: What if the Serbian armament is supplied to Armenia? Will
this create a new precedent?
Mollazade: Weapons have been supplied even before this. Thus, Armenia
is armed to the teeth. I do not rule out that even Yerevan trades
in some kinds of weapons now. It is quite possible that Armenia
is a transit country in the transfer and resale of weapons. It is
necessary to attract the attention of the international community to
such facts. The cooperation of Armenia with international terrorist
organizations is known to everyone and it is impossible
to know whether or not this armament will end up in the hands of
terrorists.
Question: Will this incident impact relations between Baku and
Belgrade?
Mollazade: It is possible to try to convey the whole truth about the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to Serbia. It is also
necessary to say that today Yerevan tries to make certain comparisons
between the conflict in Kosovo and in Nagorno-Karabakh. We are obliged
to inform the Serbian public of whom they support now and to whom
they supply weapons.