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BAKU: Azeri defence dismisses Russia concerns re US pres. in Caspian

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  • BAKU: Azeri defence dismisses Russia concerns re US pres. in Caspian

    Azeri defence official dismisses Russian concerns over US presence in Caspian

    Zerkalo, Baku
    2 Dec 04

    Excerpt from C. Sumerinli and C. Bayramova report by Azerbaijani
    newspaper Zerkalo on 2 December headlined "Russia will hold joint
    exercises with Azerbaijan in the Caspian" and subheaded "The Russians
    intend to strengthen their military positions in the Caspian in order
    to annoy the Americans"

    "It cannot be ruled out that Azerbaijan and Russia will hold joint
    naval exercises soon," the commander of Russia's Caspian navy,
    Vice-Admiral Yuriy Startsev, said in an interview with Krasnaya Zvezda
    yesterday [30 November].

    The military-political situation in the Caspian region is not stable
    because of the protracted settlement of the legal status of the
    Caspian, he said. "Theoretically, it allows the littoral states to
    define their borders within the water basin."

    The vice-admiral also focused on the aggravation of relations between
    the coastal states over the hydrocarbon deposits of the Caspian. He
    said Russia is not happy at all with the efforts of the Caspian
    nations to set up their own naval forces. The reason for concern is
    the fact that these forces are being built with material and
    military-technical support from the USA.

    Meanwhile, Startsev said that the Russian side is continuing the
    dialogue with Kazakhstan to provide its naval forces with two vessels
    of the Russian navy. Besides, he said, within the framework of the
    "Save the Caspian" programme, Russia intends to conduct joint naval
    exercises with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. The Russian military is
    expected to visit Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan shortly to realize this
    idea.

    [Passage omitted: irrelevant details]

    Our northern neighbour also has plans to test its state-of-the-art
    vessels in the Caspian, the commander-in-chief of the Russian navy,
    Vladimir Kuroyedov, said. The vessels that were manufactured in 2000
    and meet the interests of the navy will be tested in 2006. Occupying a
    special place among those vessels is the Korvet warship.

    It is interesting that Russia's military presence in the Caspian is
    gradually increasing. Quite recently, official Moscow decided to
    construct a military facility on the Russian-Azerbaijani border, while
    [Russian President] Putin said yesterday that more than 70 border
    checkpoints, several border headquarters and training centres would be
    set up to ensure security in the North Caucasus.

    [Passage omitted: irrelevant details]

    In the meantime, experts believe that the establishment of checkpoints
    on the Russian-Azerbaijani border is military pressure on
    Azerbaijan. However, the head of the press service of the Azerbaijani
    Defence Ministry, Ramiz Malikov, doesn't agree with it, saying that
    aggression against our country comes from nowhere but Armenia.

    The ministry has no information on the forthcoming naval exercises, he
    said. He added that this issue will be clarified shortly.

    No agreement was reached at the latest meeting of the defence
    ministers of the CIS member states to conduct joint
    Russian-Azerbaijani exercises, he said. Nevertheless, he noted that
    the exercises of this sort have long become a tradition in the two
    countries' navies.

    Besides, Malikov stressed that Russia's concern about the formation of
    naval forces with the financial and technical assistance of the USA is
    groundless. Azerbaijan is an independent state and has the right to
    decide which country it should cooperate with, he said.
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