GENERAL STAFF LOOKING FOR SOURCE OF RUMORS ON ALLEGED DELIVERIES OF WEAPONS TO ARMENIA

WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 21, 2009 Wednesday
Russia

The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced the rumors on arms deliveries
to Armenia. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov phoned his Azerbaijani
counterpart Elmar Mamedjarov to discuss the matter.

Lavrov informed Mamedjarov that the General Staff and the Interior
Ministry were running an investigation and said that no munitions
had been handed to Armenia in 2008, not even by the 102nd Russian
Military Base in the Armenian Gyumri.

The ministers decided to continue the talks pending clarification of
the matter.

The scandal between Azerbaijan and Russia was created by reports in
the Azerbaijani media on the alleged transfer of $800 million worth
of Russian merchandise to Armenia. The Russian Ambassador in Baku
was summoned to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry where explanations
were demanded. The Russian Defense Ministry called the reports
"disinformation" and so did Armenia.