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Arms and Meaning: No alarm over Russia-supplied armament to Azeris, say experts
Karabakh | 20.06.13 | 17:35
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
Russia has started supplying $1billion worth of heavy weaponry to
Azerbaijan, which, experts say, has different sides to it. On the one
hand Russia is keeping Azerbaijan under its influence decreasing
Baku's procurement in the international market; one the other,
Azerbaijan is strengthening its land positions to resolve the Karabakh
issue in case of flare-ups of tension and aggravation in the conflict
zone.
Russian media report that as part of the deal signed between Russia
and Azerbaijan in 2011-2012 Russia has started large-scale supply of
military equipment to Azerbaijan. Gazeta.ru reports that it includes
battle tanks, fighting vehicles, rocket launchers, etc.
Political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan believes that the
high-level military cooperation between the two countries has resumed,
and respective conclusions should be drawn to keep the balance of
forces in the region.
`I believe that the types of military equipment Azerbaijan has
purchased cannot shift the situation [with the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict]; however our foreign diplomacy has to make respective
conclusions. With such an arms deal Russia is first of all advancing
its own interests, and when it comes to its own interests, Russia
forgets all about commitments to its strategic partners. It is obvious
that in the event if the war resumes the weapon sold to Azerbaijan
would be used against the same Russian army, should things get to a
point when CSTO's involvement is required upon Armenia's request,' he
told ArmeniaNow.
Russian expert Alexander Krilov stated that supplying any kind of
Russian weapon to Azerbaijan, even for the sake of commerce, evokes
negative response among the Armenian society, but that response is
oblivious of the fact that Armenia purchases arms from Russia at
domestic Russian prices, which balances the supply of weaponry to
Azerbaijan... He believes that by doing so Russia is keeping Azerbaijan
under its influence decreasing Baku's weaponry procurement in the
international market.
`Zavtra' (Tomorrow) newspaper's editor-in-chief, military expert
Vladislav Shurigin wrote that Russia is not interested in
destabilizing the situation, and the best guarantee for it is the
presence of Russian military contingent in the territory of Armenia.
`The motive is clear - the Russian side needs money. At the same time
Moscow expects that Azerbaijan would not attack Armenia, the territory
of which holds the troops of the country supplying weaponry to them,'
wrote the expert.
Armenian defense ministry spokesman Artstrun Hovhanisyan made a
Facebook post saying that Azerbaijan's acquisition of arms and
armament is not viewed as controversial or problematic, because the
respective services of Armenia have known all about it starting from
the moment the deals were signed.
`The types and quantity of weaponry sold does not break the balance of
forces and does not create prerequisites for the Azeri leadership, of
course given a reasonable approach, to launch hostilities against
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. The defense ministry of Armenia will
refrain from making any statements or taking positions, considering
certain elements of misinformation found in the press,' he wrote.
Military expert Arkadi Grigoryan told aysor.am that Azerbaijan is very
consistent in its preparations for the war and has been planning in
two separate directions, however the Armenian side has a rather
effective counterattack capacity in any scenario.
`In one scenario it is the day-by-day growing quantity of means to
strike at the same military facilities of Azerbaijan. I want to stress
- not at the peaceful population, as Azerbaijan does, but directly its
military facilities. In the second case, we have more than enough
means to stop them at any defensive line, even if through bloodshed.
Today's Armenian army, at its combined units, has a record-breaking
quantity of antitank and other types of arms and armament,' said the
expert.
http://armenianow.com/karabakh/47073/nagorno_karabakh_armenian_army_azeri_military
Karabakh | 20.06.13 | 17:35
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
Russia has started supplying $1billion worth of heavy weaponry to
Azerbaijan, which, experts say, has different sides to it. On the one
hand Russia is keeping Azerbaijan under its influence decreasing
Baku's procurement in the international market; one the other,
Azerbaijan is strengthening its land positions to resolve the Karabakh
issue in case of flare-ups of tension and aggravation in the conflict
zone.
Russian media report that as part of the deal signed between Russia
and Azerbaijan in 2011-2012 Russia has started large-scale supply of
military equipment to Azerbaijan. Gazeta.ru reports that it includes
battle tanks, fighting vehicles, rocket launchers, etc.
Political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan believes that the
high-level military cooperation between the two countries has resumed,
and respective conclusions should be drawn to keep the balance of
forces in the region.
`I believe that the types of military equipment Azerbaijan has
purchased cannot shift the situation [with the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict]; however our foreign diplomacy has to make respective
conclusions. With such an arms deal Russia is first of all advancing
its own interests, and when it comes to its own interests, Russia
forgets all about commitments to its strategic partners. It is obvious
that in the event if the war resumes the weapon sold to Azerbaijan
would be used against the same Russian army, should things get to a
point when CSTO's involvement is required upon Armenia's request,' he
told ArmeniaNow.
Russian expert Alexander Krilov stated that supplying any kind of
Russian weapon to Azerbaijan, even for the sake of commerce, evokes
negative response among the Armenian society, but that response is
oblivious of the fact that Armenia purchases arms from Russia at
domestic Russian prices, which balances the supply of weaponry to
Azerbaijan... He believes that by doing so Russia is keeping Azerbaijan
under its influence decreasing Baku's weaponry procurement in the
international market.
`Zavtra' (Tomorrow) newspaper's editor-in-chief, military expert
Vladislav Shurigin wrote that Russia is not interested in
destabilizing the situation, and the best guarantee for it is the
presence of Russian military contingent in the territory of Armenia.
`The motive is clear - the Russian side needs money. At the same time
Moscow expects that Azerbaijan would not attack Armenia, the territory
of which holds the troops of the country supplying weaponry to them,'
wrote the expert.
Armenian defense ministry spokesman Artstrun Hovhanisyan made a
Facebook post saying that Azerbaijan's acquisition of arms and
armament is not viewed as controversial or problematic, because the
respective services of Armenia have known all about it starting from
the moment the deals were signed.
`The types and quantity of weaponry sold does not break the balance of
forces and does not create prerequisites for the Azeri leadership, of
course given a reasonable approach, to launch hostilities against
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. The defense ministry of Armenia will
refrain from making any statements or taking positions, considering
certain elements of misinformation found in the press,' he wrote.
Military expert Arkadi Grigoryan told aysor.am that Azerbaijan is very
consistent in its preparations for the war and has been planning in
two separate directions, however the Armenian side has a rather
effective counterattack capacity in any scenario.
`In one scenario it is the day-by-day growing quantity of means to
strike at the same military facilities of Azerbaijan. I want to stress
- not at the peaceful population, as Azerbaijan does, but directly its
military facilities. In the second case, we have more than enough
means to stop them at any defensive line, even if through bloodshed.
Today's Armenian army, at its combined units, has a record-breaking
quantity of antitank and other types of arms and armament,' said the
expert.
http://armenianow.com/karabakh/47073/nagorno_karabakh_armenian_army_azeri_military