Azerbaijan Ready To Fight For Nagorno-Karabakh

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
May 12 2004

12 May 2004 — Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliev today marked the 10th
anniversary of the end of fighting with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh
by saying Azerbaijan was trying to settle the still-unresolved dispute
by peaceful means, but if that failed, Azerbaijan was ready to go to
war “at any moment” over the territory.

Aliyev said Azerbaijan needs to increase its military potential in
order to “restore its territorial integrity.”

More than 30,000 people were killed and 1 million were left homeless
during five years of war over the territory. The 1994 cease-fire left
ethnic Armenian forces in control of Nagorno-Karabakh, but Azerbaijan
still wants control of the territory.

Internationally mediated talks have so far failed to convert the
cease-fire into a permanent political settlement.