Will the Funds Paid to Russia for Weapons Reduce Armenia’s Debt?
During a concluding press conference, Armenia’s Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan addressed the issue of undelivered weapons from Russia and touched on discussions regarding offsetting Armenia’s debt through bilateral obligations with Russia.
The minister stated that these are confidential processes and that he cannot provide specific information. When asked whether it is possible for the sum to be written off as state debt, Hovhannisyan avoided giving a direct answer.
There is a process where we made purchases, some of which were not fulfilled, while others were delivered with delays. However, I am not fully informed of the details as the supplies are managed by the Ministry of Defense of Armenia. Yes, we are in dialogue regarding offsetting the existing debt, but these are confidential processes. There are mutual obligations that have arisen at various stages, and discussions exist about offsetting those obligations.
It has been repeatedly mentioned that Armenia purchased weapons from Russia, but they were not delivered. The issue concerns approximately $250 million. On November 24, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the option of reducing Armenia’s debt by offsetting the funds paid to Russia for weapons is under discussion.