Photolure
Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia each took a trip to keep high their troops’ morale.
Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan on Thursday visited Nagorno-Karabakh where tensions remain following last week’s deadly fighting along the line of contact with Azerbaijani armed forces.
In a brief statement issued the same day Sargsyan’s press office said the Armenian president met with Karabakh’s top leadership, took part in a ceremony inaugurating a new military unit and visited the military hospital where Armenian soldiers wounded in the June 18-19 clashes are being treated. (Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan also reportedly visited Karabakh and met with the local leaders.)
Four Armenian soldiers were killed and as many wounded after Azerbaijani commandos attempted to overrun the Armenian positions in northeastern Karabakh in what proved to be the worst ceasefire violation along the Karabakh frontline in years. Yerevan blamed Baku for the attack that took place only a day after an Armenian-Azeri summit in Russia that discussed the future of the disputed region. Leaders in Armenia have accused Azerbaijan of thus trying to torpedo the peace process.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev followed a large-scale military exercise of his army the same day fueling speculations that Baku is planning an aggression against Karabakh which it considers to be part of its territory.
In a speech delivered during the exercises formally timed to the anniversary of the Azerbaijani armed forces, Aliyev said that while his country wants to resolve the issue through negotiations, “if it is not possible, the Azerbaijani army, all armed forces must be ready to liberate the native lands by the order of the commander-in-chief.”
“Strengthening the army is a priority task for a country living under conditions of war. For many years we have suffered from aggression, our lands are under occupation. At any time we have to be able to liberate our homeland from invaders. Along with political and diplomatic efforts, we must have a strong army, and this process is going well,” Aliyev stressed, according to Azerbaijan’s APA news agency.
Political and military leaders in Yerevan and Stepanakert routinely criticize the growing war rhetoric in Azerbaijan and stress that Armenia and Karabakh forces are ready to repel any aggression Baku might venture.
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.jpg "Karabakh Issue: Can resolution by smallest state indicate changing Western attitude to Armenia?")
.jpg "Karabakh Issue: Can resolution by smallest state indicate changing Western attitude to Armenia?")
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