Businessweek / Bloomberg
May 14 2013
Azeris Start Exercises Near Breakaway Area as Peace Efforts Fail
By Zulfugar Agayev
May 14, 2013
Azerbaijan started military exercises near its breakaway region of
Nagorno-Karabakh as efforts led by the U.S., Russia and France are
failing to broker a resolution to the long-running conflict with
Armenia.
The `large-scale’ maneuvers involving ground and air forces are
overseen by Defense Minister Safar Abiyev and will continue throughout
the week, the Azeri Defense Ministry in the capital, Baku, said today
in an e-mailed statement.
The predominantly ethnic Armenian region broke free of Baku’s control
with military and political backing of neighboring Armenia after the
breakup of the former Soviet Union in 1991. More than 30,000 people
were killed and 1 million displaced during the conflict, which left
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent Azeri districts under Armenian
control.
Azerbaijan, where BP Plc (BP/) and partners have invested more than
$40 billion in energy projects since 1994, has repeatedly threatened
to use military force to regain control of the territory should peace
talks fail.
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Badalian Vardan. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2013/05/14/azeris-start-exercises-near-breakaway-area-as-peace-efforts-fail/