Epress.am News from Armenia
Recent Russian media reports that Russia will sell C-300 missile systems to Azerbaijan followed, it seems, comments made days earlier by Russian analysts that this issue can generate much uproar, considering that Armenia and Russia are military partners, said MITQ analytical center Director Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan during a press conference Monday. According to the analyst, there’s information as well that Azerbaijan is cooperating with Turkey and South Africa.
“Experts state that if Russia didn’t sell [those missile systems] then Azerbaijan would’ve acquired those military devices from either Ukraine or the Republic of South Africa,” said Melik-Shahnazaryan.
Thus, according to the MITQ Director, Azerbaijan’s having a C-300 type of missile system is inevitable.
“If, nevertheless, it has to have it, why shouldn’t Russia profit in this case?” said Melik-Shahnazaryan, in an attempt to comment on the articles in the Russian press.
“One cannot blindly trust [Russian newspaper] Bulletin since it can be a means of further strengthening Russia’s and the West’s role in the region,” he said.