ArmInfo. The main pledge of Moscow's refusal from the "weapons policy" in the Karabakh issue in the conduct of Armenia's alternative policy. Stepan Grigoryan, director of the Analytical Center for Globalization and Regional Cooperation, shared his opinion with ArmInfo. Russia, in accordance with an intergovernmental agreement with Azerbaijan, continues to supply Baku with new arms. Last week, it became known about the delivery of another batch of modern military equipment of Russian production. According to the SIPRI report, Azerbaijan continues to import more than 85% of its weapons from Russia.
According to unofficial data, during the years of Azerbaijan's independence, Moscow supplied arms worth $ 12 billion to the country-participant of the Karabakh conflict with Armenia. "Alternative policy seems to be only one of the most effective methods for achieving Russia's refusal to sell modern weapons to Azerbaijan. Of course, it is quite difficult to conduct a dialogue with Moscow through a tough confrontation, however, it is not necessary at all." Armenia should simply pursue a more independent policy," - he stressed. In this light, the analyst considers it expedient to deepen, accelerate and materialize, realistically, after the signing of the Armenia-EU Agreement, the "and.....and..." policy. In this case, Grigoryan predicts an atmosphere change in the Armenian-Russian relations, up to Moscow's awareness of the seriousness of Yerevan's remarks and, accordingly, the change of the most unacceptable Russian approaches to Armenia. "Reminding of the repeated dissatisfaction with the fact of Moscow's sale of arms to Azerbaijan, Edward Nalbandian is, of course, right, but there is also an indisputable fact that there is no change in this issue after this discontent was voiced." Therefore, to sever relations with Russia, Armenia should not, but should to establish cooperation, while developing foreign policy in alternative directions, "the analyst summed up. On January 29, summing up the results of 2017, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, expressing his attitude towards the sale of arms to Azerbaijan by Azerbaijan, recalled that he personally and the Armenian president repeatedly touched upon this issue. "Armenia is doing everything possible to maintain a military balance, including using opportunities derived from allied relations with Russia," the diplomat stressed.