Azernews.Az

BAKU – The Russian-Armenian military agreement cannot restrain the Azerbaijani army from liberating the country’s territories from Armenian occupation, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry spokesman said Thursday.

Eldar Sabiroghlu was commenting on Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian’s recent statement that "Russia will ensure Armenia’s security no matter where the threat comes from".

"Seyran Ohanian states that if Nagorno Karabakh is attacked, the attack will be repelled. He is acting as if he is a department head at the Russian Defense Ministry, this is ridiculous," Sabiroghlu told the Baku-based ANS TV channel. "The land is ours, it has been occupied. No matter at what cost – Armenian separatists have to be withdrawn from there."

The defense pact, signed last week by Russia and Armenia, updates the 1995 treaty, renewing Moscow's lease on a military base in the South Caucasus republic for 24 years, until 2044. The protocol also commits Russia to updating Armenia's military hardware and ensuring its security. Azerbaijan has called on Moscow to honor previous agreements on not using arms at the Gyumri base against it.

Sabiroghlu said that the signing of the military cooperation deal is an affair of Russia and Armenia, but it prompts Azerbaijan to take adequate steps.

"In these conditions, Azerbaijan must definitely arm its army with modern weapons," Sabiroghlu added.

Armenia has had territorial claims against Azerbaijan, a South Caucasus neighbor, since the early 1990s. The country’s armed forces occupy over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territory, defying international law. Azerbaijani officials have repeatedly warned that the country’s land will be freed at any cost.