Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Feb 23 2005
`One should be ready for war to achieve peace’ – Belgian Amb.
Baku, February 22, AssA-Irada
The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper Garabagh was in focus of
discussions at the meeting of Minister for Defence, Colonel-General
Safar Abiyev with the Belgian Ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan
Marc Van Risselberg on Monday.
The ambassador expressed his disappointment with occupation of 20% of
Azerbaijan’s territory by Armenia and stated that one should be ready
for a war in order to achieve peace.
Risselberg noted that the Azerbaijan Armed Forces have become
stronger since the Upper Garabagh conflict started. `I wish armed
forces not to be involved in settling the conflict,’ he said.
Minister Abiyev, in turn, said that Azerbaijan is making every effort
to resolve the conflict peacefully. He said that the Azerbaijani
people are concerned over the fact that the international community
has not recognized Armenia as an invader yet.`The Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe has recently passed a resolution
calling Armenia an aggressor and forces in Upper Garabagh as
separatists. All international organizations must adopt similar
decisions. Armenia is purposefully settling population of Armenian
descent in the occupied regions of Azerbaijan. We restate that
Azerbaijan won’t give up a single inch of its territory to Armenia.
The longer the Upper Garabagh conflict remains unsettled the more the
possibility of launching military operations. If this happens,
Armenia will bear full responsibility.’*