YEREVAN (RFE/RL)—Armenia’s Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian warned Azerbaijan on Monday against attempting to win back Nagorno-Karabakh by force, saying that Armenian troops have significantly beefed up defense fortifications around the disputed territory and are prepared for another war.
“As defense minister, I’m always getting ready for that,” Ohanian said when asked about chances of renewed fighting for Karabakh at a meeting with students and the faculty of Yerevan State University. “Both the entire army personnel and all of our veteran guys, mobilization resources know that the army command, including the defense minister, would be personally engaged in all hot and tough spots that might, God forbid, emerge on our the borders of our republic and Artsakh (Karabakh) in order to defend our people,” he told them.
Ohanian says the Karabakh army in recent years further fortified its positions east and north of the territory in a way that precludes the success of any Azerbaijani offensive. “The Defense Army of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has created such a system of fortifications which the enemy can not attack and overcome in a classical style,” he said.
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev regularly states that Baku will “liberate” Karabakh if the long-running peace talks with Armenia end in failure. International mediators disapprove of such threats, saying that the Karabakh conflict can not be resolved by military means. Armenian leaders have repeatedly denounced the war rhetoric.
“Such statements show that Azerbaijan is not prepared for mutual concessions in 2010 as well,” Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian told RFE/RL on January 17.
He said they also “can not make any impact on or intimidate Armenia or Artsakh.” Ohanian, who was a senior Karabakh commander and lost a leg during the 1991-1994 war, likewise insisted that the Azeri leadership would fail to solve the conflict “unilaterally.”
Who is graduate of Yerevan State University?
Unite.
What I noticed from 100’s of other press conferences, the audience, the journalists’’ age: it is averaged about 25 years. Can they call kids from kindergartens? I think they will have more fun playing this game.
(With all respect)don’t underestimate the Armenian youth. In fact don’t underestimate anybody!!!!
These individuals are our future, and if they have the time (ie. they don’t need to get up at 5 am to got to work) totake an interest then I’m all for that.
Besides wasn’t it the students who made up the numbers during the Iranian Revolution and managed to change a regime?
Who “they”? There are “Us” and “they”?
This time, if aliyev resorts to violence and terrorism, I would suggest Armenians never to negotiate with this corrupt turk, never ever.
Ferhat
I hope and pray that Russia does not betray you guys if the terrorist and Genocidal turks attack Artsakh.
Stay awake all the time.
Remember, turks can only fight when you least suspect their intentions. They have never ever came outright infront of any of their enemies to have a fair face to face fight.
May God protect friendless and always betrayed Armenia.
Ferhat
P.S.: Armenians START contacting our Kurdish organisations and political parties and do it now.
Hi Ferhat
I have always been saying that Armenians and Kurds must unite.
If we are smart we can work things out
Take care
Samvel
Do not underappreciate the will of the Armenians. Do NOT FORGET THE HISTORY
What are you talking about samvel? You can’t make a comment that actually relates to the article above?
I would like to see that any Armenian traitors sent by Turkey into Armenia are very well scrutinyzed. The traitors could be Armenian women or men; the government must scrutinyze their borders and be well on top of their country’s intellegencia.
And what is wrong with an audience with an average age of 25? Many of the soldiers that fought to liberate Artsakh wear not much older than 25-30. Besides the few key brave individuals, most of the “older generation” are mostly useless sheep barskahyes, beirut-hyes, or hayastanzis that either love drinking their lattes on foreign soil in the diaspora or constantly love complain about their government while in Armenia.
At least those youth at the news conference are doing what the “older generation” should also do be doing and should also have done for the past 20 years, which is take interest in their country’s and people’s future instead of becoming more and more comfortable with settling down in France, US, Russia, or wherever else they are hiding like cowards.
Armenia warns Azerbaijan?:)
If there is one who can warn Azerbaijan against attempting to start war, it is Russia. Reading your comments I understand that you are smart people. Then you should know that Ohanian’s talk means nothing for Azerbaijan. The only reason holding Azeris from going to war is Russia factor. If Azerbaijan dismisses Nabucco project (more likely it will), it will become a close ally of Russia. Expect the hit when Russian and Azeri interests in the region coincide.
You could not be further from the mark, baltimore.
Despite what Bolshevik obsessed mindsets think, there are no indicators that Moscow will somehow undermine Armenia or Nagorno Karabakh. As a matter of fact, according to strong signals coming from the Kremlin, for the foreseeable future, Moscow will continue using Armenia as its base of operation regardless of its lucrative trade deals with ankara or baku. Moscow fears expansion of turkish/islamic influence into the Caucasus just as much as we Armenians do, if not more.
In addition it is well known in Western and Russian circles that the most powerful military in the South Caucasus is Armenia’s, which includes the NKR Defense Forces.
None has to warn Azerbaijan against attempting to start war. Azeris are not fighters. All this hysteria is for the case if Azeri thinking fraction of nation will want to have a democratic homeland and will become a fighter during elections, scheduled for this year (?). So, these military rhetoric reflects on Aliev’s war preparations against its own people.
As to Russia, here is one possible model: you do not go straight to Chajamlungma (Everest). You go through a chain of camps – here and then higher and then higher. And you take care of sherpas, taking care of you. I think this is the Russian way of working with Armenians in Russia’s expansionistic plans.
Oh please, the soldiers that got rid of the Mongolians were Armenians from the diaspora like Monte Melkonian etc….
Monte would fight while the drug dealers and oligarchs watched.
Re: BaltimoreUSA
Mr Seyran Ohanian is Armenian national hero, which he has last his limb in
defense of Artsakh, currently he is Armenias defense minster, he gifted his life for well being of Armenian nation, we Armenians with full heart respect & love
him.Be sure any atteempt of invasion will be crashed. As he has done in Artsakh.
Our only wory is SS Trojan Horse, politics which is in condradiction of Armenia
national military Doctrine.
And you: BaltimoreUSA, are you residing in tents, adjacent to Artsakh border, receiving your milk & cookies by Elham Alieve? Or simply from convenient distance, bursting bubble of sulfure around?