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Russia to start weapons supplies to Armenia under new $100 mln loan in 2018

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Official calls Russian weapons supplies to Armenia and Azerbaijan "a deterring factor"

YEREVAN, March 29. /TASS/. Russia will start supplying weapons to Armenia under a new $100 mln loan in 2018, Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Vladimir Drozhzhov said on Thursday.

"They [supplies] are envisaged for 2018," Drozhzhov told reporters at the ArmHiTec exhibition.

The agreement on the loan for Armenia to buy Russian weapons was signed on October 24, 2017. The loan was provided with a 3% annual interest rate over a period of 15 years. Under the agreement, Yerevan should use the funds in 2018-2022.

In June 2015, Russia signed an agreement with Armenia on a state export loan worth $200 mln to finance deliveries of Russian weapons. The loan maturity was 13 years with a three-year grace period and a 3% annual interest rate.

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