YEREVAN. – Armenia does everything to maintain the military balance, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on Monday said, as he summed the 2017 activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (PHOTOS).

When asked about the supplies of Russian weapons to Azerbaijan, the minister noted that this matter is discussed in Baku with special emphasis. Nalbandian said Armenia does everything to maintain the military balance, including the opportunities arising from its allied relations with Russia, and purchasing weapons from Russia at lower prices.

Also, he recalled that Russia ensures Armenia’s security pursuant to the amendments that are made in the agreement on the deployment of a Russian military base in Armenia, and added that Russia plays an important part in maintaining stability in the region.

And when asked about Russian FM Sergey Lavrov’s statement regarding a phased resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict, Nalbandian noted that the question on a phased or a package option would have been actual twenty years ago. But today, as per the Armenian FM, the mediators have repeatedly stated that the conflict should be resolved based on a package of proposals, and that the attempts to set one of the precepts apart from the others will make a settlement impossible. But a package resolution implies a phased implementation, added the minister.

Also, he stressed that Azerbaijan’s attempts to terrorize by way of blacklisting the foreigners that visit Artsakh are in vain. Edward Nalbandian said the overwhelming majority of those who are on that “blacklist” are proud of being on it.