Sargsyan warns Azerbaijan against unleashing new war: there will be no flashmob
17.11.2014,
13:55
Armenia’s President and Commander-in-chief Serzh Sargsyan warned Azerbaijan against unleashing a new war while closing the joint Armenia-Karabakh military drills on Friday.
YEREVAN, November 17. /ARKA/. Armenia’s President and Commander-in-chief Serzh Sargsyan warned Azerbaijan against unleashing a new war while closing the joint Armenia-Karabakh military drills on Friday.
Some 30,000 of troops and a large amount of military hardware were engaged in the exercises.
No holds are barred for Azerbaijan that is capable of shooting down a copter that found itself in a difficult condition and posed no threat, the president said adding there will be a redemption day.
On Wednesday Azeri troops shot down a Karabakhi Mi-24 helicopter that was on a training flight. Three crew members were killed.
“Your professional qualities make many naive people living in Azerbaijan change their opinion about war”, the president told the military.
“They thought fighting against Karabakh and Armenia is a short and pleasant engagement, something like a flashmob – you gather, do something together, take pictures and then disperse. But there will be no flashmob, no pleasure and walks. And, I am sure, there will be no war as long as there are you, as long as you are strong and as long as you stand here”, Sargsyan told officers and soldiers.
A lot exists on paper about human rights and right of nations in particular, but these rights need to be protected and fought for, Sargsyan said.
The Karabakh conflict started in 1988 when prevailingly Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh declared withdrawal from Azerbaijan. On December 10, 1991, a referendum was held in Nagorno-Karabakh where 99.89% voted for independence from Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan responded by large-scale military operations that led to loss of control not only over Nagorno-Karabakh itself, but also over seven adjoining areas. About 25-30 thousand people were killed and about a million had to leave their homes during the military operations.
A trilateral cease-fire agreement was signed on May 12, 2004, and has been followed since then. The ongoing Karabakh peace process started in 1992 under auspices of OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the USA, Russia and France. –0--
Some 30,000 of troops and a large amount of military hardware were engaged in the exercises.
No holds are barred for Azerbaijan that is capable of shooting down a copter that found itself in a difficult condition and posed no threat, the president said adding there will be a redemption day.
On Wednesday Azeri troops shot down a Karabakhi Mi-24 helicopter that was on a training flight. Three crew members were killed.
“Your professional qualities make many naive people living in Azerbaijan change their opinion about war”, the president told the military.
“They thought fighting against Karabakh and Armenia is a short and pleasant engagement, something like a flashmob – you gather, do something together, take pictures and then disperse. But there will be no flashmob, no pleasure and walks. And, I am sure, there will be no war as long as there are you, as long as you are strong and as long as you stand here”, Sargsyan told officers and soldiers.
A lot exists on paper about human rights and right of nations in particular, but these rights need to be protected and fought for, Sargsyan said.
The Karabakh conflict started in 1988 when prevailingly Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh declared withdrawal from Azerbaijan. On December 10, 1991, a referendum was held in Nagorno-Karabakh where 99.89% voted for independence from Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan responded by large-scale military operations that led to loss of control not only over Nagorno-Karabakh itself, but also over seven adjoining areas. About 25-30 thousand people were killed and about a million had to leave their homes during the military operations.
A trilateral cease-fire agreement was signed on May 12, 2004, and has been followed since then. The ongoing Karabakh peace process started in 1992 under auspices of OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the USA, Russia and France. –0--
