ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT ASSURED BAKU IT DIDN’T AUTHORIZE SELLING OF ARMAMENT TO ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
01.08.2007 17:13 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ July 31 Albanian Foreign Ministers Lulzim Basha
initiated a telephone conversation with Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov,
the Azeri MFA press office reported.
During the conversation the Mr Basha assured his Azeri counterpart
that the Albanian government did not permit MEIKO company to sell
armament to Armenia.
Lulzim Basha said "the contract was cancelled and there will be no
delivery to Armenia any more," Azeri media reports.
Earlier, quoting Industrywatch APA reported that Turkish authorities
have refused transit to a sizeable consignment of Albanian weapons
and ammunition bound for Armenia. They forced the Albanian ship to
sail back with its cargo.
Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berishi said Turkey forced back the
Albanian ship loaded with armament.
"One of our naval vessels loaded with containers full of weapons,
mainly heavy artillery and ammunition, was berthed at Durres port. The
ship had sailed from Durres to Istanbul," he underlined adding
that problematic relations between Armenia and Turkey resulted in a
situation when the ship had to return and the armament was unloaded
in Duress port. MEIKO Company director stated that Albania is not
interfering in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The
Albanian Defense Ministry had appointed the MEIKO Company to fill the
Armenian order, since it had some experience in this business selling
Pinari armament. The Armenian side would pay for the consignment of
armament, according to APA.
"Armenia has never bought weapons from Albania and is not going to do
it. The information spread by APA agency is a lie from the beginning
to the end," Spokesman for the RA Defense Ministry, Colonel Seyran
Shahsuvaryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter when commenting on the
APA report.