RUSSIA TO PROVIDE A $500 MILLION LOAN TO ARMENIA
Anna Nazaryan

"Radiolur"
05.02.2009 16:33

Under the conditions of the global financial crisis Russia is ready
to support Armenia by providing a stabilization loan. "Russia never
leaves its close friends at difficult moments, and when there is an
opportunity, it will, certainly, support Armenia," Russian Ambassador
to Armenia Nikolay Pavlov told a press conference today. According
to him, Russia will provide a loan of about $500 million. "Russia
implements the policy of helping its partners, which is evidenced by
the fact that Russia has provided another loan to Kazakhstan equal
to $300 million," he underlined.

"The statements about the provision of armaments to Armenia worth
$800 million are false and do not correspond to reality," Ambassador
Pavlov stated, commenting on the reports of Azerbaijani media.

In case of Abkhazia and South Ossetia Russia is guided by the principle
of the right of nations to self-determination. Asked why Russia does
not demonstrate the same approach with regard to the Karabakh issue,
Nikolay Pavlov noted that Russia is the guarantor of the agreements
reached on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. "Russia has
declared that it will become the guarantor of the agreements reached
on Nagorno Karabakh: Russia acts as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group,"
he said.

Speaking about Armeni a-NATO relations, Ambassador Pavlov stated
that Armenia is a sovereign country and builds its foreign policy
itself. "Armenia and Russia are strategic partners and the fact that
Armenia builds relations with the United States and NATO does not
excide envy or jealousy in me as Russian Ambassador," he concluded.