Responding to Hetq's questions is Armenia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Manasaryan.

RA President Serzh Sargsyan extended an invitation to Turkey's president to participate in the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. If he agrees, what will that visit provide?

It will develop the process. I consider it very positive; we are waiting for the answer. 

Will there be an answer?

I can't say.

The RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs repeatedly speaks of friendly relations between Armenia and Russia, but on Republic Day, the president of the Russian Federation congratulated only Azerbaijan. What does this mean?

We shouldn't draw conclusions from whether there was a congratulation or not that Russia is not our strategic partner. It's not right…

What about that our strategic partner is selling arms to Azerbaijan — we shouldn't draw conclusions from that?

The process of arms sale was always there, and one of Russia's officials said I can't welcome that, but at the same time it's a process that's being carried out. 

Is Armenia taking any steps for Russia to discontinue selling arms to Azerbaijan?

Steps are being taken: there are international agreements according to which the amount of arms is fixed and so on. A lot of work is and will be carried out in this direction, so that all remain within the framework of these agreements. 

Does Russia remain within the framework of these agreements?

We have to work…

You mean, it doesn't, if you have to work [toward that end]. What steps are you taking for it to remain [within the framework of these agreements]?

I'm not talking about Russia. I'm talking about the number of arms. 

We're talking specifically about Russia because it is Russia that every time sells arms to Azerbaijan. 

Why are you talking only about Russia? Have you forgotten Israel?

Because Russia is our strategic partner, not Israel.

You know what, we shouldn't mix up these formats. Russia sells arms to a second, third country, including a country you know quite well, with which we do not have friendly relations, and we should not conclude from that that our relations with Russia have waned, that the strategic partnership isn't working, and so on and so forth. They are parallel processes: we shouldn't look at all this in a simple way. 

So what should we conclude, Mr. Deputy Minister?

Nothing… [you can] conclude that life continues.