MPS URGE DEBATE ON CONTROVERSIAL ARMS TRANSFER

AzerNews Weekly
Jan 28 2009
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani lawmakers have called for discussing the recent Russian
arms transfer to arch-foe Armenia at the upcoming spring session
of parliament.

An appeal to Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov signed by 14 MPs says that
such actions by Russia, which co-chairs the OSCE Minsk Group brokering
a settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict, questions the
group`s mediating efforts and blatantly contradicts international law.

The lawmakers also suggested sending an appeal to the State Duma
(Russia`s lower house of parliament) over this.

On January 8, Azerbaijani media published reports listing 69 types of
ammunition and weaponry handed over to the Armenian Defense Ministry
from Russia`s military base in Gumri, Armenia, in 2008.

The handover, worth an estimated $800 million, had been reportedly
approved by a senior Russian military official. Azerbaijan expressed
deep concern over Moscow`s move, and the Russian ambassador in Baku,
Vasiliy Istratov, was called to Azerbaijan`s Foreign Ministry. Moscow
moved quickly to dismiss the reports, terming as misinformation the
document listing the alleged weaponry handover, but the statement
failed to appease Baku.