Azernews.Az

YEREVAN – Armenia and Russia are expected to open nine joint ventures manufacturing weapons, a senior Armenian security official was quoted by the local media as saying.

Artur Bagdasaryan, the National Security Council secretary, did not elaborate which weapons will be produced but made clear that Armenia aims to boost its military arsenal to maintain "a military balance" with Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and Armenia waged a brutal war in the early 1990s. About 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory has been under the occupation of Armenian armed forces since a ceasefire was signed in 1994. Baku repeatedly warned it could move to regain its occupied land by force and has spent hefty funds to strengthen its armed forces.

Bagdasaryan claimed Armenia has taken strides in the past two years to increase its military power. He said Yerevan has adopted a program for 2011-2015 that envisions not only imports of modern weapons and military machinery, but also the development of the country’s defense industry.

According to Bagdasaryan, an agreement signed with Russia commits Moscow to protect Armenia’s borders jointly with Armenian armed forces.

"Thanks to the document on the defense industry we signed, Armenia and Russia have deepened their strategic cooperation in the military field," he added.