While Armenian authorities justifying themselves, large-scale  rearmament of the army is underway in Azerbaijan - opposition MP

ArmInfo. While the Armenian authorities are in a state of self-justification and excessive promises, a large-scale rearmament of the army is underway in Azerbaijan.  This was written on his Facebook page by Tigran Abrahamyan, a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia from the opposition faction "With Honor". 

According to his post, the intensive mutual visits of the heads of  the defense ministries of Azerbaijan and Turkey have different  motives, but, first of all, they are taking place within the  framework of the reform of the Azerbaijani army. Having accused Armenia of arming itself, Azerbaijan will complete a five-year modernization plan next year based on the Turkish army model, which is entirely based on NATO standards. "As part of the program, weapons and military equipment were adapted, as well as personnel who underwent special training courses both in Turkey and according to programs in Azerbaijan," the deputy wrote.

On December 20, in an interview with the state agency Armenpress, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, responding to the accusations of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev about acquiring non-defensive weapons and that Yerevan will not withstand an arms race with Baku, noted that Armenia is not in a state of arms race with any country.

"We acquire weapons exclusively to protect the borders and  territorial integrity of Armenia, that is, for defense purposes, and  our goals are transparent. They are trying to tell us that for  defensive purposes we must acquire defensive weapons. But it is impossible to organize defense by defensive means. Let's say Armenia acquires super-equipped air defense and electronic warfare systems. And how should it defend itself from ground attacks? Of course, with artillery, of course, with missiles, of course, with other means of destruction. Azerbaijan is also acquiring non-defensive weapons. Does  this mean that it is pursuing a revanchist policy?" the head of the Armenian government asked.

He added that, in accordance with all international norms, the  Republic of Armenia has the right to have armed forces and is obliged to protect its citizens, including from possible external threats.

"Reforming the army is our legitimate right. Is this a threat to  Azerbaijan? No, because we have clearly recognized and recognize the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan on the territory of Soviet Azerbaijan and expect that Azerbaijan, like us, will, without giving rise to interpretations, recognize the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, in accordance with the agreements we have reached, and will refrain from the policy of threats. In fact, threatening statements are made against the Republic of Armenia every day. In these circumstances, our reaction is even criticized within the country, since we say that we do not even consider the issue of returning the occupied parts of our sovereign territory of more than 200 square kilometers by military means, because the institutional solutions reached on the issue of border delimitation allow this issue to be resolved peacefully, through negotiations. In the context of all this, we even proposed to Azerbaijan to create a bilateral mechanism for mutual arms control. But Azerbaijan has not yet responded to all this, and the difference between the military budgets of Armenia and Azerbaijan is already 3  times in favor of Azerbaijan. Against this background, accusing us of arming ourselves is, at the very least, unfair," Nikol Pashinyan emphasized.