Purchase of weapons by Azerbaijan not enough to start war, expert saysMarch 22, 2011 - 10:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Purchase of weapons by Azerbaijan prompts that Baku is preparing for a war – either with Karabakh or Iran, both versions being unacceptable, a Russian expert said. “To be more precise, Azerbaijan can support a supposed U.S. intrusion into Iran. However, any U.S. operation against Iran seems highly problematic amid the Libyan hostilities,” Sergey Markedonov said in a conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. “Even for a 6-million Libya, Washington was in need to attract allies. Speaking about Iran, we should nor forget that ‘democratization’ of Egypt still appears as an equation with many unknown quantities.” He also noted that Baku has never been a fervent fan of American policy. “Unlike Tbilisi, Baku is traditionally more retrained and cautious. As to possible war, I repeat, purchase of weapons is not enough, if not combined with diplomatic and information contexts” the expert said. 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 | Pasadena to host Armenian Genocide commemoration event The Pasadena Armenian Coalition will host its community-wide Armenian Genocide Commemorative Event. Armenia: Opposition activist transferred to Investigative Committee Activist Samvel Vardanyan has been accused of insulting the lawmaker Hakob Aslanyan from the ruling Civil Contract party. Former Pashinyan envoy urges end to Genocide speculation Marukyan has urged authorities in Armenia stop discussions about verifying the names of 1.5 million victims. Azerbaijan, Jordan sign deal on defense cooperation Azerbaijan and Jordan have signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of defense, according to an official statement. |