Armenia Deplores Russian Arms Selling to Azerbaijan

BAKU, April 7, 2016(Xinhua) — Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov (L) talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a press conference after a trilateral meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, on April 7, 2016. Russia will make every effort to promote its initiatives in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said here Thursday. (Xinhua/Tofik Babayev)

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has criticized the arms selling of Russia to Azerbaijan and he said this creates conflict in the region.

He said, “Russia is our strategic ally and we have a strategic agreement with Russia. With all that bearing in mind, we openly say we are against Russia’s arms sales to Azerbaijan. I have never stated Russia is a patron for us and overall, no state may be a patron for Armenia. Russia has never played the role for Armenia as Turkey does for Azerbaijan,” Panorama.am reported.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia will continue selling arms to both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Prime Minister Medvedev who recently visited both Yerevan and Baku after the four-day war in the region, said if Russia doesn’t sell arms, another supplier can appear in the region.

“If we imagine for a minute that Russia has given up this role (of arms seller), we well understand that this place will not stay vacant,” he told on a TV according to Reuters report.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin also pointed out the importance of arm selling when he answered the questions on Armenian president’s statement. “Everything is done in compliance with the contracts. Both these countries are our strategic partners,” TASS reported.

After the statements of Russian officials, Armenian Prime Minister, Hovik Abrahamyan said, “It would be good if they don’t sell [those weapons], but it’s their business, it’s up to them. We have and continue to urge not to sell weapons, and we have also told them about our negative attitude to this. Russia is our strategic ally, but our people are upset by the fact that Russia sells weapons to the aggressor Azerbaijan,” News.am reported.