Azerbaijan’s logic of enhancing its military potential is targeted at a military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and this poses a threat to the security of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. This is what Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan declared in an interview with Interfax.

Asked if he sees some ambiguity in the fact that Russia is cooperating with Armenia and Azerbaijan, taking into consideration the recent escalation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the minister stated that Russia is actively cooperating with Armenia and Azerbaijan in the military-technical sector and that Armenia and Russia are allies. “The coverage of the relations between Russia and Armenia is rather wide. Our interview is limited within the scope of that coverage to earmark the whole scope of Russian-Armenian cooperation which concerns all spheres of life, including cooperation in the security sector. The Russian-Armenian military-technical cooperation is allied cooperation. So, there can’t be issues or limitations,” the minister said.

Asked if it is right that the military cooperation began to grow after the escalation of tension in July, Mnatsakanyan stated that the military-technical cooperation is hinged on mutual security interests and is based on the treaties, agreements and working plans of Russia and Armenia. “Russia isn’t upsetting the balance in the region. Armenia is one of the countries responsible for security in the region, and the Russian-Armenian military-technical cooperation is in no way targeted against third countries,” Mnatsakanyan said.

Aren't you bothered by the military-technical cooperation bewteen Russia and Azerbaijan? In response to the reporter's question, Mnatsakanyan said the following: “The military-technical cooperation between Russia and Armenia has its logic and is built on the strong foundations of allied ties. As far as Azerbaijan and the military-technical cooperation are concerned, I must say that Azerbaijan is doing everything it can to enhance its military potential, trying to convince its population and the international community that it has the potential to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the military, and this is presented in the sense that Azerbaijan is ‘ceding’ to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh by not launching military operations and expecting ‘unilateral concessions’ from the Armenian side during the negotiations instead of the military operations. Azerbaijan’s logic of enhancing its military potential is targeted at a military solution to the conflict, and this poses a threat to the security of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.” The foreign minister emphasized that Armenia openly and sincerely discusses all issues with Russia since both countries have allied relations.