Recently the news media in the Russian Federation and some other countries have circulated the information on illegal supplies of large amount of Russian arms to the Republic of Armenia.

In particular, the Interfax news agency informed of the press-conference of Mr. Aman Tuleyev, the Russian minister in charge of cooperation with the CIS countries held on February 14, 1997 where he stated that the illegal arms supplies were transferred to the Republic of Armenia by evading the President and the Government of Russia. The minister stressed that these unlawful activities are carried out by certain groups in the Russian leadership who have already delivered to Armenia in two years 84 T-72 tanks, 50 armored infantry fighting vehicles and spare parts. These facts are elements in a long chain of authentic evidences of the Russian military assistance to Armenia who has committed military aggression against the Azerbaijan Republic.

The Azerbaijan side is especially concerned with the fact that these activities have considerably intensified after the cease-fire agreement was reached on May 12, 1994. Displaying its political will Azerbaijan is committed to observe this agreement despite the continued occupation of its territory by the Republic of Armenia. In the situation when Azerbaijan is steadfastly and consistently following the way of political settlement of the conflict, the double-faced nature of Armenia's policy is becoming more evident, since on one hand the latter claims to be committed to the political settlement, but on the other hand continues military build-up in violation of international norms and commitments.

The authorities of the Azerbaijan Republic on numerous occasions have focused attention of international community on these unlawful actions that run counter to the UN and OSCE decisions on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in particular to the UN Security Council resolution 853, the statement of the UN SC Chairman of August 18, 1993 and the decisions of the CSCE Committee of senior officials of February 28 and March 14, 1992, demanding to halt military supplies to the states involved in the conflict as these are encouraging the escalation of the conflict and contributing to the continuation of the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Azerbaijan Republic takes into consideration of the fact that the issue of Russian arms supplies has caused concerns among prominent Russian politicians and was discussed during special plenary meeting of the State Duma of the Russian Federation that assigned its committees on defense and security, on CIS affairs and on relations with compatriots to hold thorough investigation of the issue. The Ministry welcomes the official appeal of the member of the Russian Government to the leaders of the Russian Federation as well as to the military Prosecutors Office with a request to hold inquire of the illegal supplies. At the same time the Azerbaijani side takes into consideration the statement of Russian Ambassador to Armenia Mr. Andrey Urnov in an interview to the Armenian Noyan Tapan news agency who claimed that these weapons had been delivered to Armenia in accordance with the existing bilateral Russian-Armenian agreements. In any case, the Russian military supplies to Armenia damage Russia's prestige of a mediator in the settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Ministry hopes that the results of the investigation by the Russian competent bodies and the Parliamentary committees will account for the degree of involvement of some senior Russian officials in the unlawful activities and it will be given proper legal and political assessment. The actions of these persons who were guided by their selfish interests, damaged not only the Russian mediation, but also the bilateral Azerbaijani-Russian relations, and continue to do so. In the opinion of famous Russian political leaders, it also undermines the economy and defense of Russia.

The illegal supplies of weapons to Armenia constitute gross violation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. These facts confirm legitimate concerns of Azerbaijan with regard to numerous violations by Armenia of the CFE Treaty, which are consistently revealed by the Azerbaijan Republic in multilateral and bilateral consultations with all her Treaty partners. These facts unveil the sources of considerable amount of weapons and equipment and the routes of their introduction into the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia. These facts justify Azerbaijan's demands to take relevant steps to eliminate weapons and equipment illegally brought by Armenia into the occupied Azerbaijani territories and to provide for the implementation of the Treaty in our region, in accordance with its provisions, which will serve the interests of all States parties to the Treaty. The present situation complicates the efforts aimed at searching for ways to settle the issue of flank limitations. It also has a negative impact on the environment around the negotiations on the CFE Treaty adaptation.

Azerbaijan appeals to all States parties of the Treaty who are concerned with these problems, and first of all to the Russian Federation, with an urgent demand to take all relevant steps to identify and further withdraw the illegal weapons, in particular to conduct comprehensive and full-scale inspections in accordance with the CFE Treaty provisions both on the territory of Armenia and on the occupied Azerbaijani territories, and to ensure that such illegal practices are not repeated in future.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that the authorities of the Russian Federation will in the most serious way take into consideration the grave concerns of Azerbaijan with regard to the illegal arms supplies to the Republic of Armenia and that the response of the Russian side will be adequate and will correspond with its international commitment's, mediation role in the settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, its prestige, national interests and the high level of the continuously developing Azerbaijani-Russian interstate relations.

The Azerbaijan Republic calls upon the Republic of Armenia to comprehend that the settlement of the conflict should be sought not in the direction of military build-up, which may lead to a further escalation of the crisis. It has to be clear for Armenia too, that there is no other way to settle the conflict than to accept the recommendations of the Lisbon summit and to resume the negotiating process of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan that has caused numerous sufferings, on the basis of the principles proposed by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and having support of all OSCE participating States.

Baku, February 21,1997