Serbia’s Trade Minister Rasim Ljajic said on Tuesday that the weapons exported to Armenia had permits from four ministries, including his own, and the country’s top civilian intelligence and security agency.
RIFLES AND PISTOLS WERE EXPORTED
Ljajic’s comments came after the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment following claims that large quantities of weapons, including mortars, were exported to Armenia and used to attack Azerbaijani police on the two countries’ border.
“Arms were exported to Armenia in 2020 by a private company, state-owned companies had no part in that. I can’t name the company but we know that it exported mainly rifles and pistols worth less than a million Euro in two shipments in May and June,” Ljajic said.
He added that the final export permit comes from the Trade Ministry but that the Foreign, Internal Affairs and Defense Ministries have to give their approval first as well as the BIA. “Every one of them gives their view and only once the four of them have approved can we issue an export permit,” he said.