ArmInfo.Deliveries of weapons to Armenia within the framework of the Russian defense loan will be completed by the end of 2017, Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan told journalists on October 2 at a press conference. At the same time, as the Minister pointed out, Armenia will not only continue to purchase arms, but will also develop its own military-industrial complex.
According to Sargsyan, the supply of arms purchased under the agreement on granting Russia a state export credit for $ 200 million is coming to an end. The terms, as the head of the Armenian Defense Ministry explained, were specified in the agreement. At this stage, according to the minister, the process of supply is at the most active stage.
At the same time, an increase in the expenditure items of the state budget for defense purposes by 17% or by 27 billion drams to 246 billion drams in 2018 will also be used to purchase new weapons and military equipment.
At the same time, as Vigen Sargsyan pointed out, Armenia has achieved real success. With this in mind, the head of the MOD considers realistic the idea of turning the military-industrial complex into the locomotive of the Armenian economy. Sargsyan is sure that if Armenia moves at such a rate, Armenia will also be able to export military products, which will be one of the stimuli for the development of the economy.
The Armenian Defense Minister appealed to the reshuffles in the Armed Forces of the country. As explained Sargsyan, it is about the rotation. "We should not look for any other subtext, it's a natural process," the minister called.
In 2016, an agreement was signed between Armenia and Russia on granting the country a state export credit for up to $ 200 million for ten years with a deferred payment before the beginning of 2018. According to the annex, Armenia purchases from Russia launcher launchers and ammunition, Igla-S antiaircraft missile systems, ground-based complexes of executive radio technical intelligence , heavy flame-throwing systems TOS-1A with transport- charging missiles, guided missiles 9M113M, RPG-26 grenade launchers, Dragunov sniper rifles, Tiger armored vehicles, engineering facilities and communications equipment. The report said that the list can be changed by mutual written consent between the Federal Service for Military - Technical Cooperation and the Ministry of Defense of Armenia.
At the same time, as pointed out in July this year. Minister of Finance of Armenia Vardan Aramyan, Armenia is negotiating with Russia on obtaining a new loan for the purchase of Russian-made military products. According to him, discussions on obtaining a new military loan from Russia began this year and will be of a lengthy nature. At the same time, the minister said that starting from 2018, Armenia plans to increase defense spending by 26-27 billion drams annually and make up 4% of GDP. As explained by the minister, this decision is due to the need to maintain a military balance. At the same time, Aramyan noted, the expenditures of the Defense Ministry, including capital ones, planned for 2017 are about 226 billion drams (3.71% of GDP)