Azerbaijan acquires military equipment, which has already been in Armenian arsenal: Karabakh’s Defense Minister

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The ceasefire regime violation by Azerbaijan has become an annoying habit. The front units of the Defense Army of the Artsakh Republic follow and control the situation in the line of contact. In 2012 and 2013 the Azerbaijani Army had to suffer 5 deaths or injured for each loss of the Armed Forces of Nagorno Karabakh. In an interview with “Armenpress” News Agency the Minister of Defense of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the commander of the Defense Army Movses Hakobyan introduces the achievements, current issues, and difficulties of the Defense Army of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

- Mr. Hakobyan, summing up the current year, how would You describe 2013 for the Defense Army of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and a soldier standing on the border?

- 2013 was a quite efficient year for the Armed Forces of Artsakh both from the viewpoint of raising of the staff’s military and moral and psychological readiness and from the viewpoint of the strengthening of the material and technical base. At the course of the current year we held certain measures and trainings aimed at raising the tactical and professional readiness of the Army’s administration system, command posts, commanders of all levels and the staffs and units under their control. Also we organized tactical drills for military shooting. The divisions were equipped with the new batch of modern armory and technologies. Also, effective activities have been carried out for strengthening the natural borderlines, rear maintenance of the troops, as well as we focused on the improvement of social conditions of the soldiers and their families, and so on. Notwithstanding, the main achievement of the current year was that the Armed Forces of Artsakh realize their main mission with credit, i. e. safeguarding peaceful existence of their own people.

- The vast majority of the society attentively and sympathetically follows the incidents, which take place in the Army, and particularly the information on the deaths of the conscripts. Can You introduce a statistics on the number of soldiers, who died on the border, and how many soldiers died in time of peace?

- The loss of each soldier deeply grieves the commend staff of the Defense Army, as they are not just common soldiers for us, but sons, brothers, and Armenians, who could have a family, strong future, and contribute to the development of our motherland, if they survived. But, the neither war, nor peace situation of the region on one hand, and the peculiarities of the military service on another hand, willingly or unwillingly, imply unexpected feelings, which cause undesirable accidents, unfortunately including deaths. It should be noted that despite the aforesaid reasons, the command staff of the Defense Army constantly makes efforts to avoid extraordinary situations as much as possible and reduce the losses to the minimum. I would like to mention that in 2012 we have recorded the lowest amount of losses in comparison with the previous years and the losses of the Defense Army in the current year were reduced by 40 percent in comparison with the previous year. Notwithstanding, this reduction is not a criterion for us. It will be a criterion for us, when the deaths in the Army will be totally excluded. This is a very complicated, but solvable issue.

- Azerbaijan constantly keeps violating the ceasefire regime and sometimes initiates subversive acts. What is the reaction of the Defense Army to the rival’s adventurism?

- I have mentioned for a number of times that this purposeful behavior of the Azerbaijani side is aimed at maintaining intensity in the region. As to the subversive acts, I should state that they have been apparently reduced in comparison with the previous years, which is conditioned by the high level of combat readiness and moral and psychological preparedness of our troops on the line of contact. The ceasefire regime violations have just become an annoying habit for the rival. Our front units follow and control the situation on the line of contact and respond to them only when it is highly necessary.

- During one of Your interviews You said that the majority of the Armenian soldiers, killed on the border by the rival, get the injuries on the head. Can we consider it a result of carelessness, negligence, and unawareness?

- The military and political situation in the region has taught us, the militaries, much, including the carrying military duty on the line of contact with the rival. In fact I made such a statement in 2011, when we had 10 victims and 18 injured from the rival’s snipers’ shots. Taking into account the situation, we carried out some concrete steps, in the result of which to provide for the safe service of the staff in the military positions our observation system was reequipped along the entire defense line, the management of the frontline was improved, quite serious amendments were made in the improvement of the social and living conditions of the military duty personnel and what is very important, upon my order some preventive measures were taken to eliminate the rival’s sense of impunity. All this had a turning impact on the situation in the entire length of the contact line. I do not want to get deepen in the figures. I would only say that in accordance with my promise in 2012 and 2013 the Azerbaijani army gave 5 victims or injured for each of our loss. Nevertheless, notwithstanding this statistics, in comparison with the Azerbaijani army, we do not accept the loss of even one Armenian soldier. We aim at excluding the fatal cases in the army during military duty or in any other situation.

- Azerbaijan increases its military budget each year and the Azerbaijani Army is being equipped with new military technologies. Does it violate the balance of powers and can the Armenian side face the rival during the war?

- The increase of the military budget volume does not necessarily imply violation of the balance, especially taking into consideration the fact that the considered expenditures are aimed at acquiring the military equipment, which equivalent has already been in our arsenal. I would also like to mention that unlike Azerbaijan, whose propaganda always tries to pass the desirable for reality, we calmly and noiselessly continue enriching and accomplishing what we really have in possession. This is the most efficient way to become stronger, which guides us not to war, but to peace. (THE FULL VERSION OF THE INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE IN ARMENIAN)

Interview by Hasmik Harutyunyan