' Armenia exists using foreign grants'

Armenia exists by using foreign grants, director of the Centre for Strategic Studies under the Azerbaijani President Farhad Mammadov said in an interview with the media today.

He said that some $8 billion was allocated to Armenia in 2011 and $2 billion this year.

"Armenia did not come to its senses after the global economic crisis of 2008, but increased its defence expenditure," he said.

The country's military expenditure is 15-16 per cent of the state budget expenditures. This is too much for such a small, poor country, he said.

Provocations were observed on the contact line on the eve of the presidential elections in Armenia in February, he said.

"They seek to divert attention of the country's population from the economic and social problems, as well as to elevate Karabakh generals as patriots," he said.


/Trend/