Azernews.Az

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A fresh war in the South Caucasus is unlikely, but Azerbaijan will be ready to face the challenge if it erupts, the US Foreign Policy magazine reports.

"Of course, it's possible, even likely, that nothing will happen in the South Caucasus any time soon. But if it does, it looks like Azerbaijan will be ready," the story said.

FP said that Azerbaijan plans to nearly double its military expenditures for the coming year, and much of this money will be directed towards "modernizing the Azerbaijani military." "Is this a prelude to a renewed round of fighting with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh?" FP queried.

Tensions have been heating up between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops on the frontline, with a number of skirmishes in the past few months that have left soldiers from both sides dead. And peace negotiations, which are mediated by Russia, the U.S. and France through the OSCE Minsk Group, "don't seem to be going anywhere", the report said.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Nagorno Karabakh and seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Numerous rounds of negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.

The magazine also reported that Azerbaijan's GDP is around $46.13 billion, compared with Armenia's $11.92 billion. Baku enjoys good relations with all of its neighbors, including Russia, Iran, Georgia, and Turkey, as well as the United States and China. Armenia, meanwhile, "is a lot less loved". Relations with Georgia are tepid and with Turkey they're non-existent. Armenia does, however, host Russian military bases, FP said.