Armenia rejects Russian arms tender without explanation
Russia plans to send Armenia a note of protest regarding the rejection of an arms supply tender submitted by the Russian company ORSIS, RIA Novosti reports, citing a copy of the document in its possession.
The note, dated October 22, 2019, is addressed to Armenian Defense Minister David Tonoyan. It states that ORSIS’s proposal was rejected without any reasons being provided, and that Armenia has unjustifiably placed the firm on its list of unreliable suppliers.
Russia requests that Defense Minister Tonoyan look into the situation personally.
According to RIA Novosti, the memorandum of protest is currently at Russia’s Foreign Ministry and will soon be dispatched to Yereman through diplomatic channels.
The Russian news agency notes that the multi-million dollar arms tender was supposed to go through this summer, but the Armenian Defense Ministry rejected the Russian company’s bid, citing failure to pay a bank guarantee. The Armenian Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case for the company’s “negligent attitude to service”.
ORSIS produces and supplies firearms, bullets and special optics and is part of Russia’s PromTechnology group.