RUSSIA NEITHER PASSED NOR SOLD AMMO TO ARMENIA IN 2008: FOREIGN MINISTRY

Trend
Jan 21 2009
Azerbaijan

Russia, Moscow, Jan. 21 /Trend News, R.Agayev/ The Russian Defense
Ministry has neither passed nor sold arms and military equipment to
Armenia in 2008 in the amount and variety published by several media
outlets, a note for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry says. It has
been submitted to the Counselor of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia
Bakhish Zeynalov today, Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry demanded further explanation for the
alleged donation of Russian weapons worth 800 million dollars to
Armenia from the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri.

The Russian Foreign Ministry’s note says that the reports are strong
anti-Russian misinformation and are not conducive to the positive
development of friendly Russia-Azerbaijan relations.

Russia believes that the issue has been exhausted and is confident
that, if any concerns occur, the two countries will not make hasty
conclusions and actions, but will work together to settle the possible
doubts to advance the close relations and strategic partnership.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress