Yerevan claims Baku`s allegations `political propaganda`
The Armenian government considers Azerbaijan`s
accusations of their receiving $800 million in Russian arms and
military equipment to be "political propaganda," Armenian Defense
Minister Seyran Ohanian has said.
Ohanian claimed that by publicly discussing the issue, Baku is seeking to accomplish secret goals. "By casting these reports to the agenda, Azerbaijan is again preparing to take some step," Ohanian said.
The Azerbaijani media earlier published a document saying the weaponry allegedly handed over to Armenia consisted of 69 types of arms and was authorized to be transferred by Vyacheslav Golovchenko, deputy commander for armaments of the Northern Caucasus Military County. The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern over Russia`s move in a strongly-worded note. Russia responded last week, labeling the document listing the alleged weaponry transfer as misinformation.
Further, the Armenian defense chief maintained that Azerbaijan has itself concluded agreements on weaponry deliveries with Israel and Ukraine. "Azerbaijan is violating all existing agreements on limiting the number of arms and trying to blame others for its deeds."
At the same time, Ohanian said he was content with what he called a high level of Armenian-Russian military cooperation. He emphasized that all joint plans between the two countries for 2008 had been implemented.
Ohanian noted that there was a plan in place on military and technical cooperation between the two countries and it would be carried out over the agreed upon timeframe. "I don`t want to talk about military machinery, but an expansion of all types of armed forces is being implemented as part of this collaboration."
Meanwhile, Anne Derse, US Ambassador in Baku, has commented about concerns over the transfer of Russian weapons.
"The United States is represented in the OSCE Minsk Group [a team of diplomats brokering a settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict] and will counter any moves that could potentially derail this process," Derse said.
Ohanian claimed that by publicly discussing the issue, Baku is seeking to accomplish secret goals. "By casting these reports to the agenda, Azerbaijan is again preparing to take some step," Ohanian said.
The Azerbaijani media earlier published a document saying the weaponry allegedly handed over to Armenia consisted of 69 types of arms and was authorized to be transferred by Vyacheslav Golovchenko, deputy commander for armaments of the Northern Caucasus Military County. The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern over Russia`s move in a strongly-worded note. Russia responded last week, labeling the document listing the alleged weaponry transfer as misinformation.
Further, the Armenian defense chief maintained that Azerbaijan has itself concluded agreements on weaponry deliveries with Israel and Ukraine. "Azerbaijan is violating all existing agreements on limiting the number of arms and trying to blame others for its deeds."
At the same time, Ohanian said he was content with what he called a high level of Armenian-Russian military cooperation. He emphasized that all joint plans between the two countries for 2008 had been implemented.
Ohanian noted that there was a plan in place on military and technical cooperation between the two countries and it would be carried out over the agreed upon timeframe. "I don`t want to talk about military machinery, but an expansion of all types of armed forces is being implemented as part of this collaboration."
Meanwhile, Anne Derse, US Ambassador in Baku, has commented about concerns over the transfer of Russian weapons.
"The United States is represented in the OSCE Minsk Group [a team of diplomats brokering a settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict] and will counter any moves that could potentially derail this process," Derse said.
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