Russian Defense Ministry neither confirmed nor refuted the reports on Russia’s intention to sell two batteries of S-300PMU2 Favorit air-defense system to Azerbaijan, the ministry representative told RFE/RL.

NEWS.am reminds readers that, Vedomosti.ru reported Azerbaijani defense ministry signed a contract with Rosoboronexport last year for the supply of two batteries of S-300PMU2 Favorit air-defense system.

Speaking to NEWS.am’s correspondent, press secretary of the Rosoboronexport Director General Vyacheslav Davydenko neither confirmed nor refuted the reports. In a private talk, however, he said: “We are not allowed to make any comments on the agreement, as the agreement has a relevant stipulation. Russia signed an interstate agreement with one of the partner countries, which has nothing to do with any others.”

Several hours after NEWS.am posted the article, Russian press spread information saying that Davydenko refuted reports on an agreement between Rosoboronexport and the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan. NEWS.am once again contacted Vyacheslav Davydenko with a request to comment on the contradiction in his statements. Davydenko said that his official comments are as follows, “Rosoboronexport has no information concerning the deal. We have no information on such an agreement.” Davydenko also found difficult to answer who might spread this information and what the reason was.

On August 2, the Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper published an article, saying that Azerbaijani students have been studying in the Air and Space Defense Academy in the Russian city of Tver for several years. According to the source of the newspaper in the Russian Defense Ministry, the deal is just being discussed but the decision has been already made by the government.