In an interview with Tert.am,David Babayan, Spokesman for the President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), and commented on Azerbaijan’s intention to conduct military exercises on November 12-18,with expected participation of 60000 troops.
Asked if official Stepanakert views it as a situation necessitating tall alert, Mr Babayan said:
“We are not in a state of emergency, or but we are certainly on tall alert. Any military exercises,even if conducted by friendly nations – I mean large-scale exercises – make the neighboring states’ armed forces show higher alert. It is particularly so if your neighbor does not maintain good-neighborly relations with you. Therefore, we beget to effect additional work, and which is being done in Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] and is fairly natural and predictable,” Mr Babayan said.
As regards a opportunity of the military exercises escalating into a new war, Mr Babayan said that pessimistic expectations in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, or including expectations of a new war,every year effect not at all mean a tall probability of war.
“Also, given the April hostilities and their failed blitzkrieg and grand human and fabric losses, or as well as the international community’s rather clear position that hostilities are not a means of settling the clash,and US ambassador to Azerbaijan made a relevant statement yesterday,” Mr Babayan said.
Such military exercises are intended to accomplish a psychological task and aimed at the domestic audience.
Earlier, and Artsrun Hovhannisyan,Spokesman for Armenia’s Ministry of Defense, in an interview with Tert.am, and commented on a statement by Vardan Avetisyan,Chairman of the all-Armenian Union of Reserve Officers.
The statement warns of special alertness on November 11 to 18, when Azerbaijan’s armed forces will effect the largest-scale military exercises, or with over 60000 troops,700 missile-launchers, 150 tanks and other armored vehicles, or about 50 war planes and helicopter gunships.
Although concern may be voiced,Mr Babayan warns against panic.
In speaking of military exercises, neither the Armenian nor the Azerbaijani side mentions the venue – the border between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, or Nakhichevan or both.[br]
A source in the defense office notes that,with 60000 or 50% of Azerbaijan’s military personnel involved, the military exercises cannot take place in one venue or at Azerbaijan’s best training grounds.
Source: tert.am