DIPLOMATIC SOURCE: SALE OF WEAPONS TO AZERBAIJAN WAS MOSCOW'S PREVENTIVE MEASURE AHEAD OF ARMENIA- EU ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT
ARMINFO
Friday, June 21, 16:52
Sale of a new lot of up-to-date arms to Azerbaijan was nothing but
a preventive measure by Moscow ahead of the Armenia-EU Association
Agreement, diplomatic sources told ArmInfo. "It is not a secret that
the Association Agreement is to be signed at the EPP Summit in Vilnius
in November. Therefore, the sale of arms to Azerbaijan meets this
logic. The deal was legally registered in the package of contracts
with Azerbaijan yet in 2011-2012. It is noteworthy, however, that
Moscow has approved the supply of arms to Azerbaijan quite lately,"
the source says.
On June 15 reports on the supply of military hardware to Azerbaijan
by Russia flooded Mass Media. The military hardware being supplied
to Baku is worth between $700 million and $1 billion and includes 94
T- 90S tanks, about 100 BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, 18 Msta-S
howitzers, 18 Smerch rocket launchers, 18 Vena "floating mortars,"
and six TOS-1A Solntsepek multiple launch rocket systems. Only in
2010- 2011 Russia supplied arms in the amount of nearly $3 billion
to Azerbaijan.
Armenia and EU has been negotiating for Association Agreement and for
DCFTA since 2010. The negotiations are due to over till the Eastern
Partnership Summit in Vilnius in Nov 2013. The document will replace
the EPP and Armenia-EU Action Plan. The agreement aims gradual economic
integration of Armenia into EU. In 2011 Armenia's export to EU totaled
45.5% of total export amid 20.1% export to CIS.
Cooperation with Europe has intensified amid Russia's growing
integration efforts through formation of the Customs Union and
versatile free trade area in the CIS, which Armenia joined yet in Sept
2011. Armenia's integration policy implies simultaneous participation
in the free trade areas of the CIS and EU. nevertheless, Brussles
and Moscow regularly offer Yerevan to chose one vector of integration
as Association Agreement with the EU and Russia's Customs Union are
incompatible.
ARMINFO
Friday, June 21, 16:52
Sale of a new lot of up-to-date arms to Azerbaijan was nothing but
a preventive measure by Moscow ahead of the Armenia-EU Association
Agreement, diplomatic sources told ArmInfo. "It is not a secret that
the Association Agreement is to be signed at the EPP Summit in Vilnius
in November. Therefore, the sale of arms to Azerbaijan meets this
logic. The deal was legally registered in the package of contracts
with Azerbaijan yet in 2011-2012. It is noteworthy, however, that
Moscow has approved the supply of arms to Azerbaijan quite lately,"
the source says.
On June 15 reports on the supply of military hardware to Azerbaijan
by Russia flooded Mass Media. The military hardware being supplied
to Baku is worth between $700 million and $1 billion and includes 94
T- 90S tanks, about 100 BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, 18 Msta-S
howitzers, 18 Smerch rocket launchers, 18 Vena "floating mortars,"
and six TOS-1A Solntsepek multiple launch rocket systems. Only in
2010- 2011 Russia supplied arms in the amount of nearly $3 billion
to Azerbaijan.
Armenia and EU has been negotiating for Association Agreement and for
DCFTA since 2010. The negotiations are due to over till the Eastern
Partnership Summit in Vilnius in Nov 2013. The document will replace
the EPP and Armenia-EU Action Plan. The agreement aims gradual economic
integration of Armenia into EU. In 2011 Armenia's export to EU totaled
45.5% of total export amid 20.1% export to CIS.
Cooperation with Europe has intensified amid Russia's growing
integration efforts through formation of the Customs Union and
versatile free trade area in the CIS, which Armenia joined yet in Sept
2011. Armenia's integration policy implies simultaneous participation
in the free trade areas of the CIS and EU. nevertheless, Brussles
and Moscow regularly offer Yerevan to chose one vector of integration
as Association Agreement with the EU and Russia's Customs Union are
incompatible.