Armenia slams Belarus over weapons delivery to Azerbaijan

Belarus promotes arms race in the region, Armenia's National Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said in a statement. He met with Belarus Ambassador Ihar Nazaruk and passed Yerevan's official stance over the delivery of Belarus-made weapons to Azerbaijan.

"Belarus, a friendly country that has partnership obligations with Armenia, sells weapons to Azerbaijan, thus promoting an arms race in the region,"  Grigoryan wrote on his Facebook page. The National Security Council Secretary expressed "deep concern" of the Armenian authorities. Yerevan reckons Belarus' actions undermine efforts "to ensure stability in the region."

Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan remain tense over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region. Belarus recently supplied the Polonez multiple launch rocket systems to Azerbaijan. Local news websites published photos of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev posing in front of the Polonez vehicles at a military unit in Azerbajan. In May, Armenia's new Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke about this delivery with Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka.