“Russia is obstructing the transfer of weapons purchased from India to Armenia.” On April 30, during the public debate “Is Azerbaijan in the Lachin Corridor with Russia’s weakness or with its consent?” on Public TV, the chairman of the “For Equal Rights” educational center, a former member of the National Assembly Gayane Abrahamyan announced this.
Blogger Vahagn Mkhoyan, who often touches on security and political issues, approaches the information spread by the former deputy with skepticism. According to him, when this information appeared in the news in the fall of last year, many questions arose following the arms trade.
“Not because Indian weapons are not good, but because in the arms market, India has a particular reputation as a buyer and seller: unfulfilled, protracted contracts and corruption. Believe me, the Indian Defense Ministry and the military industry were able to amaze even the doctors, professors, and academicians of corruption”.
The anti-Russian attitude is secondary in this matter. The main thing is the corruption risks in the case of military-technical cooperation with India. And now those concerns are even more aggravated when rumors circulate that we cannot bring weapons. Through the mouth of a former CC Deputy, the government says through its main propaganda loudspeakers, dear people, these Indian weapons will not be available, but not because we ate the money with the Indians, but because the Russians will not let them go. In short, you will have to wave goodbye to the several hundred million dollars given to the Indians; you will not see them ever. By the way, there are precedents when in India they have repeatedly tried to calculate where literally billions of dollars have gone from this or that transaction, and there is not even a trace of it.”
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According to our interlocutor, the Armenian authorities knew all the risks of buying arms from India. Still, they took that step because it was an opportunity for money laundering.
Styopa Safaryan, the founder of the Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs, does not know any information about Russia’s obstruction of the supply of Indian arms. “I am not aware of such information, especially since the Indian side regularly just informs that the transaction has occurred. Now, whether these weapons have arrived or not, Iran or Russia, I cannot say.
But bearing in mind that Russia has traditionally been jealous of Armenia turning to other arms suppliers, I cannot rule it out. Because in 2016, after the April war, the then Minister of Defense Vigen Sargsyan went to China, and there was talk of purchasing from China; I can remember how nervous Russia reacted at the level of the TASS agency… the Indian side assuredly informed that the consignment on which agreements were reached brought, it should be delivered to Armenia as of September of this year. If this kind of information comes out, then there is a problem.
Since September is approaching, and those weapons should have already been delivered to Armenia, there are three months left in September. It is noteworthy that Russia is chosen, which has an objective explanation.” Regarding India’s well-known reputation for corrupt deals, delays, and non-fulfillment of contracts, Styopa Safaryan said. “It’s the first time I’ve heard something like this. I can’t deny or confirm.”
Let us remind you that in 2022 On September 29, the Indian “Daily Economic Times” reported that India would supply many missiles, jet systems, and ammunition to Armenia. It was mentioned that the governments of Armenia and India signed several agreements on providing weapons and ammunition at the beginning of September. According to the Indian Daily, the value of the signed deals is more than 20 billion Indian rupees or about 244 million US dollars. The Indian TV channel India Today, in turn, reported that India sold arms and ammunition to Armenia, equivalent to about 260 million US dollars.
Arpine SIMONYAN
