According to the information made available to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Azerbaijan Republic, Russia Defense Minister Mr. Igor Rodionov has confirmed the fact of illegal supplies of Russian weapons to Armenia.

The information on the supplies of the Russian weapons, including 84 T-72 tanks and 50 BMP-2 armoured infantry fighting vehicles, worth 271 billion rubles handed over to Armenia free of charge in 1994-1996, is presented in the letter by the Defense Minister to Mr. Aman Tuleyev the Russian Minister on the CIS affairs, sent on February 28.

The letter by I.Rodionov says that the military equipment was supplied to Armenia by the Ministry of Defense free of charge and without the corresponding orders of the Russian government. According to the Minister neither the military equipment, nor its delivery had been paid for, thus incurring heavy losses to the budget of Russia.

According to I.Rodionov, the findings of the investigation on the illegal supplies of the military equipment to Armenia have been submitted to the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office.

The letter by the Russian Defence Minister fully refutes Armenia's allegations that this country has never violated the provisions of the CFE Treaty, and rectifies, as it was expected by Azerbaijan to the growing tendency in Russia towards the priority of state interests over narrow interests of individual groups and towards unbiased approach to the just settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as towards elimination of the factors preventing its peaceful settlement.

As for Armenia, this country should not have been morbid to the published facts of her illegal acquisition of the Russian military equipment. Instead the leaders of Armenia have to soberly appraise the situation and draw necessary conclusions.

March 13, 1997