Serzh Sarkisian said on 6 February that the U.S. administration should preserve parity in providing military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan, RFE/RL’s Yerevan bureau reported.
The U.S. draft budget for fiscal year 2005 provides for $8 million in military aid to Azerbaijan, compared with $2 million for Armenia.
Speaking in Moscow on 4 February, Sarkisian said there is a gentlemen’s agreement between his ministry and the U.S. Defense Department that the principle of parity should be maintained, according to Armenpress, as cited by Groong.
Sarkisian added that he does not think an increase in military aid to Azerbaijan will make the Azerbaijani Army four times stronger.
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Armenian Defense Minister Calls for Parity in U.S. Military Assistance
