MOSCOW (RFE/RL) — Defense Ministers Sergey Shoygu of Russia and Davit Tonoyan of Armenia agreed on fresh arms deals at their latest talks held in Moscow, the Armenian Defense Ministry indicated on Sunday, August 18.
The ministry spokesman, Artsrun Hovannisyan, said they discussed, among other things, Russian-Armenian “military-technical cooperation,” an official euphemism for arms production and supplies.
“Davit Tonoyan and Sergey Shoygu reached a number of important agreements on the implementation of bilateral military-political, military and military-technical programs,” Hovannisyan wrote on his Facebook page. He did not give any details of those understandings.
Hovannisyan said the two ministers also agreed on the importance of continuing joint actions by their armed forces and “reinforcing the combat readiness” of Russian troops stationed in Armenia.
A statement by the Russian Defense Ministry likewise said “joint projects of military and military-technical cooperation” were on the agenda of Saturday’s talks but did not elaborate. It quoted as Shoygu noting “the strategic level of relations” between the Russian and Armenian militaries.
The Russian minister also praised more than 80 Armenian demining experts, army medics and other non-combat military personnel serving in Syria in close coordination with the Russian military.
