Armenian military expert rules out renewed fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh

YEREVAN, September 7. /ARKA/. An Armenian military expert said repatriation of an Azerbaijani army officer, Ramil Safarov to Baku by Hungary and his subsequent parole by president Aliyev would not force a return to warfare despite the exacerbating long-standing tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Ramil Safarov, a soldier from Azerbaijan, killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian. Both men were studying English in 2004 at a NATO center in Hungary. Safarov was sentenced to life in prison in Hungary, but that country recently extradited him to Azerbaijan. Not long after Safarov arrived in Azerbaijan, though, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned him. Then the killer got an apartment and a promotion.  

"I do not see why Azerbaijan should unleash a new war against Armenians after it got back the killer," David Jamalyan told a news conference at Novosti international press center. He also said that the rumors in Armenia that Baku may renew hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone are prompted by concerns that Baku may take advantage of mixed feeling among Armenian population after the release and parole of Safarov.

Jamalyan said for renewed fighting there must be a radical change in the balance of forces. At this point, he said, the balance of forces has not changed and the capabilities of Armenian and Karabakh armed forces are at a high level. Jamalyan said the Armenian troops would rebuff any attack of the enemy in case of necessity," and today "the armed forces of Armenia and Nagorno- Karabakh are more capable of doing so than ever." -0-