AZERBAIJAN: DEFENSE MINISTER ON RUSSIA TENSIONS

S E C R E T BAKU 000334 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, INR. USEUCOM PLEASE PASS TO USAREUR E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2034 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR AJ RU AM SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: DEFENSE MINISTER ON RUSSIA TENSIONS REF: A. BAKU 326 ¶B. IIR/USDAO BAKU AJ/22APR2009 (NOTAL) Classified By: AMBASSADOR ANNE DERSE, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (S/NF) This telegram supplements Reftels. During the April 17 meeting between Commander, USAREUR General Carter Ham and Azerbaijani Minister of Defense General-Colonel Safar Abiyev (Reftel A),Abiyev described his introductory meeting with the newly assigned Russian Ambassador to Baku, Vladimir Dorokhin, as a "serious discussion." According to Abiyev, he confronted Dorokhin with accusations that Russia had supplied USD 800 million in weapons to Armenia and continues to do so, and told him this was unacceptable to Azerbiajan. ¶2. (S/NF) Abiyev further said that "our airspace will remain closed to them," as long as Azerbaijan is dissatisfied with Russian behavior. Comment: DATT and Embassy understood this to mean that the Azerbaijani military does not allow overflights of Russian military aircraft or cargo flights bound for Armenia rather than an absolute ban on Russian air traffic. Abiyev's reiteration of Azerbaijan's accusations about arms transfers may suggest that Baku intends to preserve it as a bilateral issue even after Abiyev's consultations with the Russian MOD January 31 in Moscow and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's March 12 visit to Baku. End comment. DERSE