ANAR MAMEDKHANOV: "I HOPE THAT RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER VLADIMIR PUTIN WILL REVEAL THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPPLY OF THE RUSSIAN MILITARY HARDWARE IN THE AMOUNT OF $800,000,000 TO ARMENIA"
Today.Az
olitics/50262.html
Jan 23 2009
Azerbaijan
Anar Mamedkhanov, deputy of Milli Medjlis of Azerbaijan.
Everything old is new again. This very phrase comes to mind while
analyzing the current attempt of the Russian Foreign Ministry to pull
over on and to conceal the next blatant fact under angry rhetorics,
casting shade on Azerbaijani-Russian relations, discrediting Russia
as a country, which co-chairs the OSCE Minsk Group, as a country
which can be trusted.
In 1997 when Azerbaijani public was shocked by the news about supply
of Russian military hardware of over $1 bln to Armenia, official
Moscow also refutted this fact for long.
At that time, by personal instruction of Ilham Aliyev, I left for
Moscow for covering this information in Russian mass media, during
which I held a number of meetings with representatives of the leading
Russia medias, as well as late general Lev Rokhlin, at that moment
chairman of the Committee of State Duma on Defense.
In the result of a careful work, it was revealed that the supply of
Russian military hardware to Armenia really took place. The reveal
of the truth and its open recognition become possible owing to the
activity of Vladimir Putin, who at that time was chief of the head
of the control department under the President.
Notably, the results of the inspection, held by the head control
department, connected with execution of the defense order, became
one of the reasons of resignation of Russian Defense Minister Igor
Rodionov.
Therefore, currently, when the fact of the next supply of Russian
military hardware to Armenia, close to a billion of dollars, was
revealed, I would also like to voice hope that Russian Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin will reveal those who are responsible for the case
and will not allow some circles to damage the Azerbaijani-Russian
relations which can serve an example of trust and mutual respect.