Details added (first version posted on 13:33)
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 7
Trend:
Armenia’s possible provocations on the eve of the presidential election in Azerbaijan will be severely suppressed, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said
Hasanov made the remarks at a meeting of the ministerial leadership in Baku April 7, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a message.
The Azerbaijani minister updated the personnel about the statements made by Azerbaijani President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the country’s Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev during the recent speeches and instructions to the Azerbaijani army.
Emphasizing that the supreme commander-in-chief always shows attention and care for the army, Hasanov analyzed the situation on the front line and spoke about the upcoming tasks.
He also set specific tasks for the officials in organizing and holding voting process in the upcoming presidential election in military units.
He instructed to be always ready for any possible provocations of Armenia on the front line on the eve of the election and immediately take decisive measures for their suppression.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.