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ARMY CONSTRUCTION

Zakir HASANOV: Negotiations over Nagorno-Karabakh take too long

Author:

15.07.2017

Amidst the recent aggravation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and growing tension on the contact line, Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse each other of military attacks and violation of the ceasefire. In his first interview to foreign media, the Defense Minister of Azerbaijan, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov told RIA Novosti about the prospects of resolution of the conflict, as well as the military and technical cooperation with Russia.

Recently, we have witnessed several incidents on the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh. Experts believe in serious aggravation of the situation between Azerbaijan and Armenia...

I visited the site of the last incident, Alkhanly village in Fizuli region, where civilians were killed. It is about three kilometers from the front line. Armenians claim there were some of our units there. But the units cannot just stay on the street, they need infrastructure, which is not available there. In fact, it is not even required, since tactically this village is not suitable for the deployment of the troops. At least, for the organization of defense, the village makes little difference. Nevertheless, the village was attacked using anti-tank grenade launchers SPG-9. It is used mainly to fight tanks and armored vehicles, but it has fragmentation shells. The Armenians also fired two more mortar rounds.

I am sure it was a preplanned crime. There was not an intense gunfight at that time. A few days before, Armenian reconnaissance drones were seen in the area. They saw that this was an ordinary village with civilians, and still struck it two days later. It is a crime!

If it's a provocation, what is the point of it?

We know what they hope for. As a member-state of CSTO, Armenia makes other countries hostage to its provocations. They know that if no one interferes in the situation, they have no chance to hold out even for three days. This was in April 2016. If they did not stop us then the resistance would already be broken. We penetrated their defenses line, which they had been maintaining over many years, just in forty minutes.

Then they started talking about a new round of the Karabakh war...

Yes, the biggest confrontation was in April 2016. The reason was the attacks on civilians. On April 1, Armenian artillery strike killed a whole family in Terter. I was reported about the incident on the same day, somewhere between 10-11am. Since Armenians were controlling the whole village from the top of a hill, I commanded to take measures to pull the enemy away from the populated areas. We did not intend to start a full-scale war.

About 15-20 percent of our army was involved in this operation. I did not even command to pull up the reserves and artillery of central subordination to the frontline. Our army successfully accomplished the task. We threw the Armenian Armed Forces away from settlements. Armenia reacted to this as if the war had begun. They drew all their military, even the reserves from Yerevan. They attacked our positions for three days, but on the second day, they requested for the mediation of the relevant Russian structures.

For example, the Russian Defense Minister, Army General Sergei Shoigu called me and said that it was necessary to stop "this action", as the country's leadership will talk about this. The Chief of the General Staff of Russia, Army General Valery Gerasimov, also called our Chief of the General Staff.

Later it turned out that the Armenians wanted to gain some time to regroup and strike. But this did not work out. In principle, we accomplished our tasks – we liberated two strategic heights, which are of great operational and tactical importance. These are Leletepe in Jabrayil region and the Talish Heights.

In general, the tension in the military zone between the Armenian and Azerbaijani troops has been growing for the last few years. The one and only reason is the occupation of Azerbaijani lands. All the rest is a consequence. Armenians are not willing to de-occupy the territories and the negotiations do not bring any results. Naturally, the situation gets complicated and sometimes turns into local military operations in the zone of confrontation, this is normal. This will be going on while the two conflicting armies are facing each other. But when they purposefully attack the civilians, this is a criminal act.

How long will the conflict last?

Armenia cannot compete with Azerbaijan with its existing economic, demographic and military potential. Azerbaijan is growing every year in terms of its economic, military, and demographic potential. Despite the existing global crisis, which we are also suffering from slightly, as a Defense Minister, I am interested in financing of our army, which increased last year. This year, our budget makes up 17-20 percent of the state budget. So, the leadership of Azerbaijan headed by the President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Aliyev pays much attention to strengthening the army, equipping it with the newest weapons. We have moved to a new qualitative level. In recent years, my task was to modernize and to strengthen our army.

Do you think it is possible to resolve the Karabakh conflict by military means?

I am not a politician. Our country is committed to a peaceful solution of the issue. But this does not mean that these negotiations should be endless. They have already taken too long. Nobody needs negotiations for the sake of negotiations. Just look around, the international laws no longer work, all rely on force. Naturally, we must react to this. But I repeat that I am not a politician, but a military man.

Well, let us talk about the military matters then. What about the $5-billion contract signed between Azerbaijan and Russia in the beginning of 2010 for the delivery of about one hundred tanks T-90, one hundred BMP-3, self-propelled artillery systems 2S19M1 Msta-S, multiple launch rocket systems Smerch and many more. Has Azerbaijan paid off the contract amount and received the weapons?

This contract has been fulfilled by almost 90%. We paid off the amount. There are some little things left. All weapons that you have mentioned has long been in Azerbaijan and successfully used. Incidentally, thanks to this weaponry, we achieved success in April 2016. All weapons are modern, which we have mastered and been using since.

Are you interested in some new types of weapons?

We are, but I will not talk about this.

Have you seen any military equipment used in Russia’s campaign in Syria that Azerbaijan is interested in?

We always analyze the situation and choose the best. We have very good military and technical cooperation with Russia. We are buying the latest types of weapons in Russia. At the forefront we put maneuverability, increased impact power, more accurate defeat. I will not go into details.

In general, the military all over the world has a practice of studying all the recent military conflicts regardless of the level of their success and the associated problems. We are also studying the experience of the Russian Federation in the fighting in Syria. We exchange experience with specialists. We have repeatedly exchanged views with the Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu. Our leaders have also communicated. The Russian side has presented enough materials for study. I’d like to thank them for this.

We evaluate this experience in our region. You know, everything is developing very quickly. For example, four years ago, the drones were a rarity, but now even the commanders of the lowest ranks use them.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin once said that Azerbaijan was interested in purchasing an AN-124 “Ruslan” transport airplane. Any progress so far?

Mr. Rogozin is a great friend of Azerbaijan. We are satisfied with the cooperation with him.

Why does Azerbaijan need AN-124 "Ruslan". After all, the distances are short...

Why? Nakhichevan is in blockade. We do not need them to carry ammunition and weapons. For example, we can use this aircraft to supply the population with food, and other necessary things. We also purchase machinery from other countries, which must be transported somehow. We have a contingent in Afghanistan. Military transport aviation is a very important component of any armed forces.

In addition to military purchases, there is always a question of servicing equipment and spare parts. We have great prospects in this regard. We have many Russian-made helicopters. Both transport and combat. We have airplanes, armored vehicles. One of the main questions is maintenance of this aircraft. We are doing a great job, we have good results.

Is the upgrade of MIG-29 fighters of the Azerbaijan Air Force of Azerbaijan also part of this work?

Many of our questions does not have anything to do with the upgrade. The necessary issues have already been tested.

Information that the deployment of Iskander missile systems in Armenia has made much noise recently. Has Baku applied to Moscow for the acquisition of the same systems or the anti-missile weapons?

I think there is no need to talk about whether Azerbaijan addressed this issue to the Russian side or not. As Defense Minister, I declare that we have a relevant system capable of shooting down these missiles. We also have fifty times more rockets. I bear full responsibility for my words. Imagine what would be a retaliatory impact to the infrastructure and military objectives, if they ever decide to use them. There are several types of tactics known internationally for the use of such troops.

Yes, Iskander is a good missile. But there are a few questions: what are the types of rockets delivered, what is their technical condition, who does control them, and, finally, will they be able to apply them?

As a military, we always consider the worst-case scenario. We are ready for that. True, the missiles, which I have told you, were purchased not in the Russian Federation, but they are not worse in quality. We have simulated a combat situation and conducted live firing. The results are excellent. To date, we are confident that we will be able to protect our settlements and military installations from missile attacks from the air.

Do you plan conducting joint exercises and events with Russian colleagues in the nearest future?

Yes, we do. We have been taking part in international military games for three years. This is a very good event, organized at a very high level. We participated in tank biathlon and our team took a rather high place in the Caspian Cup. We will take part in these games this year as well. This year, the Caspian Cup will be held in Azerbaijan. Earlier games included the teams of Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. This year the number of participants will increase. The Islamic Republic of Iran has shown interest. Many countries want to be present as observers. It's a traditional practice - first as observers, and then as participants. The fraternal Turkey has also showed interest.

In addition, we have conducted military exercises with the Russian Federation in the Caspian, where we have focused on such factors as counterterrorism and rescue operations. This is normal. The integration of our armed forces is going on, and we exchange experience and establish friendly relations. Especially, I would like to emphasize Russia's assistance in the education of our military specialists. Many cadets from Azerbaijan study in military educational institutions of the Russian Federation. They are mostly air defense specialists, aviation specialists, signalmen and so on.

You told about the army games. What about the military exercises? Is there anything planned for this year?

No.

Why? You said that it helped the best interaction and the fight against terrorism?

This year, we have no such plans from the Russian side. But in principle, if there is such an invitation, we are ready to review it.

Maybe Azerbaijan acts as an organizer?

Well, that is why we will jointly participate in these games. All of us have many things to do. We have our own front, the Russian Federation has its own. Our exercises take place mainly at the frontline, where the conditions are close to combat.

Azerbaijan and Russia maintain unprecedented level of military cooperation from education to weapon modernization. Is it planned to sign an agreement on military-technical cooperation? Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have such agreements. These agreements provide serious preferences to these countries when buying Russian weapons, training personnel...

There is another factor. We buy Russian weapons at world prices. The countries that you have mentioned are members of CSTO. As far as I know, they buy weapons at domestic prices.

We have an interstate agreement on military-technical cooperation. We also have an interstate commission, which is presided by First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyyubov from Azerbaijan and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin from Russia. The commission convenes several times a year to determine the direction of military-technical cooperation. During these meetings, the parties resolve issues in working order. This is the current workflow, but problems arise in any case. The seller wants to sell more expensive, the buyer - to buy better and cheaper. I say this figuratively, it is not directly relating to our commission. Naturally, current issues are being resolved. To date, all deliveries determined by the agreement between Azerbaijan and Russia have been fulfilled by 90%.

Currently, we are currently studying some additional weapons. We request weapons and test them. Buying weapons is a multifaceted issue. On the one hand, one needs to avoid the banality. On the other hand, heterogeneity creates problems in the maintenance. That's a very difficult question.

Recently, another round of inter-Syrian talks took place in Astana, where the parties have discussed the issue of de-escalation zones. According to the Russian special envoy, Mr. Lavrentiev, Russia has invited a number of CIS states to take part in monitoring the ceasefire in these zones. Did they apply to Azerbaijan?

Please ask questions related to the Ministry of Defense. I am responsible for the Ministry of Defense.

I will ask the question differently: is the army of Azerbaijan ready to control the truce in the zone of de-escalation in Syria?

The readiness of the Azerbaijani army is at a high level. It has a combat experience. Just imagine an army that has been fighting for about 30 years. Yes, sometimes the things get a little heated, sometimes not. But the army is in the trenches. I am speaking purely theoretical about the potential of our army.

As far as our participation in Syria is concerned, this is a political issue. I am not a politician, I have never been engaged in politics. But the Azerbaijani army is capable of performing any tasks. Speaking as a defense minister, the level of readiness of our army for combat operations is high. By the way, this is not only my personal opinion.

Mr. Minister, joint military exercises of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia have already become a tradition. What are your plans in this area? Do you have specific dates for these plans?

It is too early to talk about specific dates. Each country may have emergency situations. We are preparing a joint document, which provides for the interaction of the armed forces of Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan. This document includes provisions for joint exercises as well.

We have already conducted joint exercises of the Air Force, Special Forces, motorized infantry units and tank divisions with Turkey. Simultaneously, we conduct a joint trilateral operation Eternity with Georgia.

At the last meeting of defense ministers in Batumi, we agreed to invite Georgia to joint exercises conducted with Turkey. In June this year, we held joint exercises with Turkey, in which the representatives of the Georgian Armed Forces also participated.

At the end of our conversation, I would like to emphasize that the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan regards the Russian Armed Forces as a reliable strategic partner. We are also ready to develop our relations in the fields of military education, joint events and military-technical cooperation.

Thank you for the interview, Mr. Minister!

Thank you!


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