Azernews.Az

The large military parade held in Azerbaijan on Thursday to mark the 90th anniversary of the country's armed forces has alarmed Armenia.
The most outstanding display of military power unprecedented in the Caucasus region made headlines in Armenian media. The country, with which Azerbaijan faces a long-running conflict, openly aired its worries over the parade, in particular, with President Ilham Aliyev's statement that "the war is not over yet" made in his address at the event. The Azerbaijani leader's pointing out the amount of the military budget and the fact that the military machinery displayed is mainly designed for launching attacks and not for defense has raised eyebrows in Yerevan.
"What I conclude from these statements and the display of Azerbaijan's military machinery is that military action in Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh could start tomorrow," Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian told Russian Kommersant newspaper. "This can't be ruled out, particularly since the Azerbaijani leaders are talking about the possibility of military action. I believe that in any country, if at least two persons - the commander-in-chief and the defense minister - are of this opinion, hostilities may be launched tomorrow. This means that the army should be ready for combat."
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for over a decade. Peace talks brokered by the OSCE Minsk Group kicked off after a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but have brought little tangible result so far. Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law.
Sarkisian said the "no peace, no war" state has been preserved in the past 14 years due to the existing balance of forces, and a resumption of hostilities is possible if it is disrupted.
"Azerbaijan is the only country that takes pride in its rising defense spending. If they are confident in their success for just five minutes, they can go ahead and choose the use of force," the aggressor country's leader said.
Sarkisian admitted, although indirectly, that his country was backing down from war.
"We can settle everything in peace, and we talked about this with President Ilham Aliyev in St. Petersburg. The meeting was constructive. However, constructively speaking is one thing, but constructive action is something else. I reiterate that I don't see a military solution. A red line is in place both for Azerbaijan and Armenia, and we have to find an edge which would bring us closer so that we don't cross it."
Baku was quick to respond to the statement. The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry spokesman Khazar Ibrahim said the Armenian leadership itself was unwilling to settle the conflict in peace. He said such utterances by the Armenian president made on the eve of the international mediators' visit to the region had raised numerous questions.
Ibrahim said the parade had no bearing on the ongoing peace talks with Armenia and Baku was opposed to speculations on the matter.
He emphasized that the parade showed Azerbaijan's military might to the country's citizens, but not to other states.
"We have no intention to show anything to anyone abroad. We are celebrating our own holiday. As was the case at all times, all of the machinery available is displayed during military holidays. Azerbaijan is thus trying to show its citizens that development and state-building are under way in the country, and the defense sector is not lagging behind these fields."
The event, held on the central Azadlig Square of Baku, displayed 4,510 personnel, 210 upgraded military machines, 25 fighter jets, 19 helicopters, 31 warships and motor-boats.
The Defense Ministry spokesman Eldar Sabiroghlu said the purchased unmanned aircraft and Smerch (Tornado) rocket launchers were displayed for the first time. Following the ground troopers were special motorcycles and the Mercedes-Benz Unimog trucks with armed soldiers. Manouvering by airplanes and helicopters of the Azerbaijan Air Force was displayed as well. The operations were reinforced by the Navy ships from sea.
President Ilham Aliyev said while addressing the parade that the Azerbaijani people were weary of talks on the Garabagh settlement and the country should stand ready to liberate its territories under Armenian occupation through military action any time.
"Our land has been under occupation for over a decade, which brings suffering to the Azerbaijani people and state," he said.
The president said, however, that Baku remains committed to peace talks. "True, the negotiating process has positive sides, but we have no intention to tolerate the occupation of our territories by Armenia forever," the commander-in-chief said.
Aliyev highlighted that there could never be any mechanisms on the negotiating table allowing separation of Upper Garabagh from Azerbaijan.
"This is based on historical facts and the norms of international law. The entire world and international organizations recognize and support Azerbaijan's territorial integrity," the head of state said, noting that this was reflected in the five standing resolutions passed by the UN General Assembly.
He said liberating all the occupied territories was the key goal of the Azerbaijani government.
"The war is not over yet, and only its first stage has ended. The loss of part of its territory by Azerbaijan is temporary…Along with negotiating, we are doing everything we can to develop our army, which will allow us to free our land any time," Aliyev said.
He cited misbalance between the military power of Azerbaijan and Armenia, saying Azerbaijan currently has the most powerful military in the region. Azerbaijan's defense spending has increased more than 10 times in the past five years to exceed $2 billion, which almost equals Armenia's overall budget.
"The country's economic development, its military supremacy and our diplomatic efforts on the world stage contribute to restoring historical justice and liberating Azerbaijani land from occupation," the president said.