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The Armenian side has always aimed to maintain a balance of armaments in the Karabakh conflict zone, and this policy continues, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said during a briefing after the government session today as he was commenting on Azerbaijani defense ministry’s accusation against the Armenian side over a $200 million loan provided by Russia for the purchase of weapons.  

Shavarsh Kocharyan said that Baku failed to “think of something more sensible than an unpromising arms race” and that the rich natural resources and easily earned petrodollars are contributing to Azerbaijan’s militarization. Kocharyan urged Baku to change its mind.  

He stressed that the Aliyev regime needs to maintain the tension and continue the conflict for one purpose - to mislead their own people into believing in the existence of an external enemy and declare all dissidents ‘Armenian agents” and hold them criminally liable under that pretext.

When asked how the closure of OSCE Baku office will affect the Karabakh settlement,  the deputy foreign minister replied that Azerbaijan does everything to close down bodies that protect democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression in the country. S. Kocharyan reminded those present of the negative assessments given by international organizations about freedoms and the level of authoritarianism in Azerbaijan.