Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 15 / Trend , E.Rustamov/
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry condemns Russia for strengthening Armenia's military by supplying armaments worth $800 million to the country.
"The armament supply contradicts UN Security Council conventions on settling the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a message on Jan. 15. "Russia is violating its obligations not to render assistance to the parties engaged in the conflict."
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7 districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry is against any actions aimed at strengthening the occupation of Azerbaijani territory and calls on Russia to take all possible measures to prevent consequences arising as a result of the armament supplies to Armenia, the statement said.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry is dissatisfied with Russia's explanation regarding its armament supplies to Armenia worth $800 million and demands more details, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Elkhan Polukhov told Trend on Jan. 15.
On Jan. 14, Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vasiliy Istratov informed Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov of the Russian Defense Ministry's reply to Azerbaijan's inquiry regarding the alleged armament supply to Armenia. The Azerbaijani side said the reply was unsatisfactory. Mammadyarov urged for a more detailed explanation.
Earlier, Istratov was invited to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry to explain media reports about the Russian armament supply to Armenia.
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