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MOLDOVA CLARIFIES ARMENIA ARMS SALE RUMORS TO AZERBAIJAN - PREMIER FILAT
Interfax
Oct 4 2011
Russia
Chisinau and Baku have sorted out uncertainties in their bilateral
relations sparked by rumors claiming that the Moldovan Army's weapons
with an expired shelf life were sold to Armenia, Moldovan Prime
Minister Vlad Filat said.
Filat said at a press briefing in Chisinau on Tuesday that he had
met with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the Eastern
Partnership Summit in Warsaw last week.
"We discussed all of these problems and clarified the situation,"
he said.
A Latvian-owned Ilyushin Il-76 cargo airplane arrived at Chisinau's
airport from Libya on September 12. The plane requested permission
to land in Chisinau because the Marculesti Air Force Base, where it
was supposed to land, did not accept airplanes at night. The next
morning, the Il-76 flew to Marculesti, where it took weapons on board
and departed several hours later.
According to military officials, the cargo included weapons and
property with an expired shelf life.
Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Valeriu Lazar told
journalists later that under a certain contract, "a batch of weapons
with an expired shelf life was purchased by a firm from Latvia,
and it planned to deliver it to Armenia."
The Moldovan authorities said later that they could not name the
destination country of the cargo.
Azerbaijan then demanded an explanation.
Interfax
Oct 4 2011
Russia
Chisinau and Baku have sorted out uncertainties in their bilateral
relations sparked by rumors claiming that the Moldovan Army's weapons
with an expired shelf life were sold to Armenia, Moldovan Prime
Minister Vlad Filat said.
Filat said at a press briefing in Chisinau on Tuesday that he had
met with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the Eastern
Partnership Summit in Warsaw last week.
"We discussed all of these problems and clarified the situation,"
he said.
A Latvian-owned Ilyushin Il-76 cargo airplane arrived at Chisinau's
airport from Libya on September 12. The plane requested permission
to land in Chisinau because the Marculesti Air Force Base, where it
was supposed to land, did not accept airplanes at night. The next
morning, the Il-76 flew to Marculesti, where it took weapons on board
and departed several hours later.
According to military officials, the cargo included weapons and
property with an expired shelf life.
Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Valeriu Lazar told
journalists later that under a certain contract, "a batch of weapons
with an expired shelf life was purchased by a firm from Latvia,
and it planned to deliver it to Armenia."
The Moldovan authorities said later that they could not name the
destination country of the cargo.
Azerbaijan then demanded an explanation.