Armenia’s Security Hinges on Peace with Azerbaijan—PM
In a message issued for the occasion, Pashinyan stressed that the government has no intention of returning to armed conflict, underscoring that stability has already been achieved between the two neighboring states. “I also want to emphasize that we are not preparing for war, because there will be no war. Peace has been established between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and there is no more reliable guarantee of security than peace. We will strengthen this most reliable guarantee of security,” he said.
The prime minister also highlighted ongoing reforms within the armed forces, explaining that the military is undergoing major changes aimed at boosting its defensive strength. These efforts include significant financial investment and the procurement of advanced weapons systems that, he said, Armenia’s army had never previously possessed.
According to Pashinyan, Armenia had long struggled to modernize its arsenal because foreign partners were unwilling to sell weapons, reportedly out of concern that such arms could be used beyond Armenia’s internationally recognized borders or that sensitive technologies might be exposed to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
He further argued that by September 2022, CSTO member states had failed to honor their security commitments to Armenia, allegedly withholding hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of weapons that had already been paid for.
Pashinyan described this situation as an “existential threat” designed to undermine the country’s sovereignty.
The prime minister said the risks were eased after an agreement reached in Prague in October 2022, when Armenia and Azerbaijan mutually acknowledged each other’s territorial integrity in line with the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration.
Following that development, Yerevan decided to suspend its participation in the Russia-led alliance.
Reiterating the mission of Armenia’s armed forces, Pashinyan emphasized their strictly defensive role. “We have clearly stated and continue to state that the Armenian army has no other task than the defense of its internationally recognized territory of 29,743 square kilometers (11,483 square miles),” he said, adding that remaining border disputes would be settled through joint delimitation commissions.
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