ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY DENIES BUYING WEAPONS FROM ALBANIA

Arminfo
26 Jul 07

Yerevan, 26 July: The Armenian Defence Ministry has categorically
denied some foreign media reports about purchasing arms from Albania
and the ban of Turkey to transfer these arms through its territory.

The press secretary of the Defence Ministry, Col Seyran Shahsuvaryan,
said that Armenia has not purchased arms from Albania. "We have
bought nothing from Albania. This report is nothing but another ‘hoax’
of the Turkish-Azerbaijani propaganda machine," Shahsuvaryan said.

According to some Azerbaijani, Russian and Turkish media outlets,
Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha made a statement about arms
delivery to Armenia.

"One of our ships with 60 containers, filled mainly with heavy
artillery and ammunition, was at the Durres port. The ship left from
Durres to Istanbul," he says, adding that the problematic relations
between Turkey and Armenia resulted in the fact that the ship had to
return, and the weapons were unloaded in the port of Durres.

Meanwhile, the director of MEIKO company, which trades Pinari weapons,
said that Albania has nothing to do with the conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan. "All the sale procedures are in order and correspond
with the law. We are currently examining the possibility of using
other routes," he said. The director of the company said that a
representative of the Armenian Defence Ministry contacted his colleague
in Albania and ordered a big batch of weapons, including anti-aircraft
missiles of various calibers, from 75mm to 122mm. Afterwards, the MEIKO
company, which had experience to this effect, was assigned to contact
corresponding officials in Armenia and to sign a contract. The source
also mentions that Armenia must pay for the delivery of the weapons.