France has announced the sale of defensive equipment to Armenia as Azerbaijan launched military drills with its ally Turkey.

The deal was announced weeks after Baku seized Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenian separatists and amid fears in Yerevan that Azerbaijan might now seek to target southern Armenia.

Speaking to reporters, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Armenia would buy three Ground Master 200 (GM200) radar systems from the French defence group Thales, without providing financial details.

The system, already used in Ukraine, is known for its "remarkable detection capabilities", Lecornu said at a press conference alongside Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan, who is on a visit in Paris.

• Paris agrees to deliver military equipment to Armenia

The ministers also signed a letter of intent for Armenia's purchase of air defence systems involving Thales and European missile maker MBDA, a spokeswoman for Lecornu told AFP.

Lecornu said the letter of intent involved the purchase of "Mistral-type" equipment, referring to a short-range air defence missile system.

Armenia also signed a contract to buy night-vision goggles from the French group Safran, the defence ministry spokeswoman said.

After that announcement, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev refused to meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for talks in Spain.

(With newswires)

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/france-announces-sale-defensive-weapons-131901793.html