Azerbaijan sends a note to Russia over sale of weapons to Armenia

 Azerbaijan sent a note to Russia over the sale of weapons to Armenia, Hikmet Hajiyev, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, told reporters February 24.

Trend reports that commenting on the information about the entry into force of a $200 million loan agreement on weapons and military equipment sale by Russia to Armenia, Hajiyev said Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has already sent a note to the Russian Foreign Ministry over the matter. 

Under the agreement on provision of a 200 mln USD loan to Armenia, the Armenian armed forces will acquire 9K58 "Smerch" multiple artillery rocket systems with ammunition, "Igla-S" surface-to-air missile systems, "Avtobaza-M" passive signals-intelligence systems, TOS-1A "Solntsepyok" flame throwers, "Tigr" all-terrain infantry mobility vehicles, "Konkurs-M" anti-tank missile systems, RPG-26 anti-tank rocket launchers, KamAZes, as well as communications equipment and engineering equipment.

The agreement of Russia's concessional loan was signed in 2015.  Armenia will start repaying the loan at the annual interest of 3% in 2018 in terms of Russian rubles within 10 years. The prepayment will total just 10%. Actually, the two Armenian republics can buy a certain amount of weapons from Russia for $200mln given the continuous devaluation of the Russian ruble and Armenia's CSTO membership.