Medvedev says Russian arms supplies to Azerbaijan and Armenia are based on agreements on military and defence technology cooperation

In an interview with Rossiya TV Channel's Vesti v Subbotu, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says that the Russian arms supplies to Azerbaijan and Armenia are based on agreements on military and defence technology cooperation.  

"You know, Russia is a partner for both states," he says. "For Armenia, we are also a CSTO ally. However, ours are interstate relations. They are based on agreements, including agreements on military and defence technology cooperation".

"So, if we imagine for a moment that Russia has abandoned this role, we understand that nature abhors a vacuum. They will buy weapons in other countries and this will not make these weapons any less lethal. But at the same time, this can to a certain degree disrupt the balance that exists now, as we understand our partners' needs and everyone understands the lineup of forces in the region," says the Russian prime minister.

"Therefore, I am not sure that the advent of other arms suppliers to this market will help improve the situation. I believe this situation will most likely become even more complicated," he says. "I believe that weapons can and should be acquired not only to be used but also to be a deterrence factor, and this is what all parties to a conflict should think about," he notes.

Earlier, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with DW that Yerevan is discontent with the sale of Russian military hardware to Azerbaijan. "We have a strategic agreement with Russia. At the same time, we always say openly that we object to the Russia-Azerbaijan arms deals," he stressed.