ArmInfo. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan introduced the newly appointed Defense Minister Arshak Karapetyan to the staff of the Ministry of Defense and the senior officers of the Armed Forces.
According to the press service of the government, addressing the Minister, Pashinyan stressed that the latter takes office at an extremely difficult time for the country and the region.
Speaking about the tense situation around the borders of Armenia, the Prime Minister noted that Azerbaijan is trying to create the impression that it is shaping the agenda in the region and around Armenia, and in fact is imposing this agenda. "However, Armenia has its own agenda. The Republic of Armenia has been and remains within the framework of its international obligations. That is, in fact, an attempt is being made not to give an opportunity to resolve the issues that are on the agenda of the government of the Republic of Armenia, "he said. Touching upon the issue of unblocking communications, Pashinyan stressed that this is the key point of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020. "The opening of regional communications is one of the priorities of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. And what is Azerbaijan doing? It is trying to add components to this topic that are unacceptable for the Republic of Armenia in terms of their content, "the head of government said. In this vein, he pointed to the talk of the corridor. "Everyone should know that there has never been an agreement on a corridor through the territory of the Republic of Armenia," he assured. Pashinyan stressed that the Republic of Armenia did not undertake either oral or written obligations on this proposal, moreover, it always expressed its clear position on this issue. And there can be no question of secret agreements.
Nikol Pashinyan also stated that at the early parliamentary elections on June 20, the country's authorities received a mandate from the citizens of the Republic of Armenia to open an era of peaceful development for Armenia and the region. "We are determined to follow this path, but we must state that, unfortunately, it depends not only on the Republic of Armenia. This is the whole problem>. In this context, he noted the importance of joining efforts with the international community in bringing countries that pose a threat to peace in the region into a constructive field. "But on the other hand, we should be as constructive as possible in order to be able to realize the mandate received from the people, of course, in no case at the expense of the national and state interests of the Republic of Armenia," Pashinyan said. The head of the government stressed that the government is facing the task of carrying out the process of reforming the Armed Forces on a large scale. "It is difficult to overestimate the role of the Minister of Defense here. Mr. Karapetyan, I wish you good luck in promoting this agenda, "he concluded.
In turn, the newly appointed Minister Arshak Karapetyan assured that he will do everything possible to ensure peace, protect the borders and restore the resources of the Armenian army thanks to the already initiated investments and reforms. "We want the Armed Forces of Armenia to be one of the most powerful armies that have their own reputation in the region," he stressed.