Azerbaijan: Aliyev highlights Baku's boosted military; Yerevan concerned
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 26 June 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Azerbaijan: Aliyev highlights Baku's boosted military; Yerevan concerned, 26 June 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/51e79b6012.html [accessed 24 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 26, 2013
Azerbaijani troops participate in a military parade in Baku on June 26.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev says his country will continue to increase its military strength until the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia is resolved.
Speaking at a military parade in Baku on June 26, Aliyev said Azerbaijan's military budget in 2003 was $163 million while now it is $3.7 billion.
Aliyev noted that archrival Armenia's total national budget is about $2 billion.
Armenian Defense Minister Seiran Ohanian said in Yerevan that his country was concerned by Azerbaijan's arms buildup.
Ohanian stressed the "importance of Armenian-Russian ties," adding that Yerevan did not plan to join what he called "a regional arms race."
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a dispute over Azerbaijan's mainly Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh region for more than two decades. The disputed area is controlled by Yerevan.
Based on reporting by Apa.az, Interfax, and Panarmenian.net
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
