Interfax, Russia
Jan 16 2009
Lavrov categorically denies claims of Russian arms supplies to Armenia
in 2008
MOSCOW Jan 16
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denied media reports
claiming major deliveries of Russian weapons to Armenia.
"We have investigated this situation together with the General
Staff. The person whose surname is mentioned by Azerbaijan’s media did
not sign any documents. No [arms] shipments were made to Armenia last
year," Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow on Friday.
The Russian minister said he is speaking about the publication of a
document signed by a certain person in Azerbaijan’s media. This
document refers "a huge amount of military hardware and military
property that was allegedly delivered to Armenia a short time ago," he
said.
The Russian authorities have asked Azeri officials to produce their
copy of this document, Lavrov said. "Our inquiry has shown that such a
document does not exist. We may conduct a graphology examination of
this copy," he added.
"Russia has never made it a secret that it has a program of
military-technological cooperation with Armenia. It has a similar
program with Azerbaijan," the foreign minister said.
"These programs are not classified. Armenia is a member of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization. This organization’s members
enjoy privileged conditions. Our Azeri friends are very well aware of
this. No one has any questions about our military-technological
cooperation with Armenia and Azerbaijan," Lavrov said.