Azerbaijan's draft budget for 2012 envisages allocation of $1.77 bln to defence sector, increasing the share by 1.9% against last year.

Azerbaijan's budget for 2011, revised upwards in May, allocates AZN 1,364,796,025 ($1.74bn) to direct military spending.

Recently Baku has been bragging about its military budget’s topping the whole of Armenia’s state budget. Azerbaijan is spending billions on weaponry purchase, miraculously circumventing the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

Azeri authorities are shamelessly inciting its people to a war and organising sniper courses at schools, ready to turn their kids into cannon fodder. Baku flames up anti-Armenian rhetoric with allegations of “Azeri kids killed by Armenian soldiers”.

Baku keeps maniacally upping its military budget to buy more weaponry, ready to set up more provocations, to spread more anti-Armenian propaganda to make Azeri people disregard the misdeeds of authorities.

Or is there another reason?

Yerevan hosted a grandiose military parade dedicated to 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence. The festive Republic Square gathered huge masses, exultantly greeting marching soldiers of Armenian, Artsakh and Russian armies and a vast range of defense weaponry demonstrated.

SU-25 jet aircrafts, leaving coloured streaks in the sky as they flew by, as well as Mi-24, Mi-2 helicopter gunships were welcomed with special enthusiasm. Those gathered were impressed by defence weaponry demonstrated: 9К72 Elbrus vehicle complex, 9K79-1 Tochka-U tactical missile system, S-125 Pechora, K11 Krug and Osa surface-to-air missile systems, GAZ-2975 Tigr high-mobility military vehicles, T-72 tanks, heavy artillery, self-propelled howitzers, anti-tank missiles; Krunk Armenian-made international standard missile drones were demonstrated.

The parade was led by the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Colonel-General Yuri Khachaturov with Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan at reviewing stand.

Armenian President, Supreme Commander in Chief of the Armenian Armed Forces Serzh Sargsyan, Nagorno Karabakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I, high-ranking politicians and foreign diplomats reviewed the parade from official stands.

The parade couldn't but rise the upsurge of pride and patriotism with many, even most sceptical viewers, who were given a chance to become witness to the might of the Armenian army.

Azerbaijan, unable to predict the response of Armenian army in case of a renewed war, was clearly shocked over Yerevan-hosted military parade, which might be a reason for Baku's expanding its defense budget.