Expert: Azerbaijan would be too naïve to expect easy victory over Armenia and NKRJuly 2, 2008 - 15:17 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijan would be too naïve to expect an easy victory over Armenia and NKR, a Russian expert said."It's quite another matter what can be understood by saying victory. If Azerbaijan succeeds in gaining control over the seized territories, it can be described as a small victory, which will, however, never bring peace and stability to the region" said Sergei Markedonov, head of the inter-ethnic department at the institute of political and military analysis. "Moreover, in case of resumption of hostilities, Azerbaijan will lose all advantages it gained in relations with the EU and U.S. Azerbaijan has been building its image as a country subjected to aggression and occupation for many years. Launching military operations, Baku will smash this image into smithereens in no time," he said. "Azeri leaders are not ready to join the 'axis of evil' yet. Azerbaijan experiences problems not only with the U.S. and Europe but with Iran as well. In an attempt to resolve the Karabakh problem by use of force, this country will suffer irreparable losses. Victory in a blitzkrieg is vague; loses from a large-scale war are obvious. However, sounding paradoxically, armament race between Yerevan and Baku can be a stabilizing factor." "No one will dare to launch a war, knowing that the opposite side possesses both weapons of war and information," he concluded, Gazeta.ru reports. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |