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Wednesday,
August 1,
2007, #145 (1412) The Azerbaijani foreign affairs minister fired off a salvo of letters to his Albanian counterpart, his Pakistani counterpart, and the secretary general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, criticizing a purported Albanian arms shipment to Armenia, which was reportedly turned away from a Turkish port. According to the news agency Regnum, Azerbaijani Foreign Affairs Minister Elmar Mammadyarov wrote about the Armenian capture of Nagorno-Karabakh, saying that more than 800 000 ethnic Azeris had been forced from their homes. The Organization of the Islamic Conference decreed that its member states-which include Albania and Turkey-not give any military assistance or weapons to Armenia, Mammadyarov wrote. Nor should member states allow transit of weapons bound for Armenia on their territory, as the "Armenian conquerors are not to be allowed to continue the occupation and widen the conflict." Baku said it considers the weapons shipment an action against Azerbaijan. Mammadyarov requested that his Albanian counterpart step in and personally see to it that the arms contract is cancelled, Regnum writes. The Armenian defense ministry, however, categorically denied the reports. They are not buying any weapons from Albania, they said, accusing Baku of making strident statements. At the same time,
Regnum reported that Azerbaijan is intending to buy weapons from Belarus.
A minister there announced the possible sale July 30, saying he would
be meeting with Azerbaijani officials soon to talk about the deal.
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Yerevan denies
purchasing arms from Albania