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Russian MFA questions deal between France, Armenia on Bastion armored vehicles

It was reported that France will supply Armenia with a total of 50 Bastion armored vehicles manufactured by the Arquus company, while keeping the door open for a deal to supply Caesar artillery systems

MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. The Bastion armored vehicles that France will supply to Armenia will not help Yerevan, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.

"As for France and these Bastion armored vehicles - they are illiquid. This is obvious even from the situation unfolding in the context of the special military operation, I commented on this in detail at the briefing on November 22," she said.

"By the way, if a lot of mass communication and information media, close to the current authorities in Armenia, would not twist this information and would not engage in anti-journalistic activities, but would give an opportunity to the people of their country to see the quotes and the direct speech, it would be clearer that, unfortunately, the people of Armenia are being misinformed by the West. Why misinformed? Because this hodgepodge of military equipment produced by different countries has never contributed to improving defense capabilities. This is clear," Zakharova added.

The diplomat also commented on the statement of the republic's Deputy Defense Minister Hrachya Sargsyan that Armenia is not going to sue Russia for not receiving purchased weapons, as the two countries should work the problem out together. "Now regarding that statement of the Armenian Defense Ministry that you quoted about the need to solve problems in concert, we can only welcome this. As [we] understand, the Russian Defense Ministry has a similar mindset," she said.

France will supply Armenia with a total of 50 Bastion armored vehicles manufactured by the Arquus company, while keeping the door open for a deal to supply Caesar artillery systems, the Armenian state news agency Armenpress reported earlier, citing an internal document from the French Senate. According to the agency, 24 armored vehicles have already been delivered to Armenia, 26 more are being produced and will be delivered later.

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