ArmInfo. Statements of the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on the state of our Armed forces before the change of power were taken from the air. I have to refute them and characterize them as manipulative and pursuing specific political goals. A similar opinion was expressed by ArmInfo, member of the political council of the Republican Party of Armenia, ex-deputy defense minister of Armenia Artak Zakaryan.
The other day, speaking in the framework of the "Yes" campaign, Prime Minister Pashinyan said that when he assumed the post of prime minister and got acquainted with the situation in the army, his "first desire was to leave the office". Moreover, the misery of the army was personally recognized by President Serzh Sargsyan, declaring that the army was fighting with weapons of the 80s.
"Such a statement by the Prime Minister has nothing to do with reality. The security system of the country as a whole, the Armed forces, in particular, have developed over the years. It is the high combat efficiency of our army that has always been the main factor deterring enemy aggression. It was our armed forces that forced the enemy to abandon plans for use of force to resolve the Karabakh conflict, "he stressed.
As an example, confirming his own point of view, the former deputy head of the defense department cited the situation on the fourth day of the April 2016 war. According to him, Baku hastened to appeal to the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces with a request to start negotiations with Armenia regarding the cessation of hostilities in Artsakh, realizing the complete futility of continuing the hostilities.
According to the Republican, the Azerbaijani army then, no doubt, faced very big problems. In this light, he considers the assessments and statements of Prime Minister Pashinyan on the state of the army as false. Zakaryan does not agree with Pashinyan's criticism of the RPA and personally of Serzh Sargsyan in the context of the latter's recent visit to Brussels. According to him, the RPA's close partnership with the European People's Party is by no means news and a useful acquisition not only for the party, but also for the country as a whole. According to him, the RPA has many levers for engaging these ties in the interests of Armenia.
"I don't think that we need to distort the real situation. The diplomatic missions of various countries are working in our country. I think they perfectly represent to their leadership what is happening in Armenia. It seems to me that it is time to show seriousness. The world is gradually becoming increasingly involved in new threats new challenges arise. And in response to all this, we voice mutual, sometimes unfounded, primitive accusations. The situation requires a serious, adequate response. From all of us, "the Republican summed up.