Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 16 2009

Foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Russia discuss arms sale to Armenia
16.01.09 21:53

Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 16 /corr. Trend News E.Rustamov / Initiated by
the Russian side, a telephone conversation took place between the
Foreign Ministers of Russia, Sergey Lavrov and Azerbaijan, Elmar
Mammadyarov, on Jan. 16.

The conversation focused on Russia’s sale of military equipment and
arms to Armenia.

Lavrov said that the Foreign Ministry of Russia held an investigation
jointly with the Headquarter, and assured Mammadyarov that Russia did
not officially sold any arms to Armenia in 2008. It regards with the
military unit 102 located in Armenia’s city of Gurmi.

The sides reached an agreement to continue talks in this regard to
make this issue more clear.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry accused Russia of strengthening military
potential of Armenia, who occupied Azerbaijan’s lands, by supplying it
with ammunition worth $800 million.

The ammunition supply contradicts the UN Security Council resolution
of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Russia violates commitments not to
render support to any of the conflicting sides, Azerbaijan’s Foreign
Ministry said on Jan. 15.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except of Shusha and Khojali, in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and
Nagorno-Karabakh’s seven surrounding regions. Twenty percent of
Azerbaijan’s lands is under occupation. In 1994, Azerbaijan and
Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

The European Union observers the conflict solution process.