Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 10, 2007 Friday
OFFICIAL BAKU DOESN’T RULE OUT POSSIBILITY OF RUSSIAN ARMS SALES TO
YEREVAN
According to Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, Baku
does not rule out the possibility of Russian arms export to Armenia.
Commenting on the possibility, Azimov said Armenia and Russia were
military allies – with all this state of affairs implied. The
diplomat said Russia and Armenia could be promoting some coordinated
policy indeed, and that included the sphere of armament. Azimov said
that the information was being run down and that Russia should be
aware of the negative consequences in case it was corroborated. The
situation in the region is such that the warring sides in the
conflict had better continue the talks. "If Armenia is arming itself,
Azerbaijan cannot afford to ignore it," the diplomat said and added
that Azerbaijan had already persuaded practically all countries not
to sell weapons to Armenia. "There are practically no more countries
or companies in Europe who would sell weapons to Armenia," Azimov
said. "Russia should make its choice – stop selling arms to Armenia
and give peaceful settlement a chance or proceed with its policy and
thus foment a new crisis."
Source: Ekho (Baku), August 4, 2007, EV
Translated by A. Ignatkin