Russia will continue its arms sales to both Azerbaijan and Armenia despite the latest flare-up of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview broadcast on Saturday.
Medvedev, who travelled to both Armenia and Azerbaijan this week, said Russia had no intention to halt its arms sales to any side of the conflict.
“If we imagine for a minute that Russia has given up this role (of arms seller), we well understand that this place will not stay vacant,” Medvedev told the weekly “Vesti on Saturday” programme on Russian state TV.
“They will buy weapons in other countries, and the degree of their deadliness won’t change in any way,” he said. “But at the same time, this could … destroy the existing balance of forces (in the region).”
Moscow believes the possible involvement of other major arms exporters to the region “will most likely complicate the situation further”.
“I believe weapons may and should be bought not only to be used one day, but to be a deterrent factor,” Medvedev said. “This aspect must be considered by both sides of the conflict.”
