YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–Armenia’s Defense Minister Vazgen Sargssian voiced satisfaction over establishment of a commission to investigate the Russian arms supply to Armenia and Azerbaijan. "Let them come–see and get convinced that Armenia has got less arms from the former USSR and Russia than Azerbaijan," he said.
Vazgen Sargssian said that Russia-Armenia military cooperation will go on and in the near future he is planning to meet with his Russian counterpart.
As for the recent statement by Azeri President Gaidar Aliyev to the effect that Azerbaijan is ready to solve the Karabakh problem by force–Sargssian said–"Let him do it. We are ready."
"The necessity for our visit to Armenia was prompted by the centuries-old traditional relations between our peoples," National Defense Minister of Greece Akis Tsokhadzopulos said upon arriving in Yerevan on Tuesday.
The Greek minister noted that the friendship between Armenia and Greece formed in hard times–when both peoples were under the yoke. "Our common historic experience and struggle for freedom and independence created prerequisites for development of cooperation on a modern stage–when much is changing and problems of security and stability are becoming primary issues," he said.
The minister emphasized that Greece is located in a region which includes the Balkans and Transcaucasus–and cooperation is needed to jointly solve problems emerging in the region–establish peace and stability.
The Greek delegation was met by Armenia’s Defense Minister Vazgen Sargssian–who–noting the progress in military-political cooperation between Armenia and Greece–said that during the current visit the work of military commissions on many spheres of cooperation–including science and education–will be organized. Asked about possible Moscow-Athens-Yerevan military-technical cooperation–Sargssian noted that such cooperation is possible.
Sargssian reported that Armenia established military-political cooperation with Russia–Bulgaria–Georgia and Kazakhstan as well. In the future it is planned to establish ties with defense ministries of the US–China–Iran.
Sargsian also declared that Armenia has established close strategic relations with the Defense Ministries of Georgia and Kazakhstan.
