Nikol Pashinyan Holds Consultation at Ministry of Defense After Meetings in Davos and Moscow

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the Ministry of Defense of Armenia today and held a consultation with the leadership of the Ministry and the high command of the Armed Forces.

Welcoming those present, Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized the importance of such meetings for effective cooperation between the Government of Armenia and the Armed Forces.

“Our most important task is to address the challenges to our security. Our political emphasis is as follows, and there is no newness in this emphasis: the primary guarantor of the security of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh is the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia and the Artsakh Defense Army. We acknowledge that the normal development of the Armed Forces and their alignment with the modern standards of readiness and the security needs of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh is our absolute priority. We must continue to work in this direction with short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals, as well as a strategy for action,” said the Prime Minister.

Armenian Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan presented the achievements recorded in the defense system in 2018 to the Prime Minister, as well as the main priorities for 2019.

“Compared to previous years, since June 2018, we have had a relatively calm frontline, primarily due to the efforts of the political leadership of the Republic of Armenia and the clear tactics and actions of our Armed Forces. In this regard, I want to reassure you that our army today, with its preparedness and discipline, will uphold both the political agreements and, if necessary, impose favorable conditions on the adversary through appropriate actions,” Davit Tonoyan stated.

According to the Minister, one of the main achievements of 2018 was to keep the Armed Forces free from political influences, which was well demonstrated during the parliamentary elections, as well as the changes made in the conscription process.

“Radical steps have been taken to improve the transparency and fairness of the conscription process, to strengthen and clarify the constant connection between the state, soldiers, and families. This has also manifested itself in improving the issues of food and material supply for conscripts, in fact, without additional financial resources, as well as in the protection of the rights of servicemen,” he added.

Davit Tonoyan also indicated that the development of effective cooperation with Armenia's allies and partners has continued, not only within the framework of existing agreements but also by acquiring new agreements. According to him, structural changes in the army's management system are also nearing completion.

“A number of legislative changes are underway aimed at improving, simplifying, and making the management system more effective, enhancing the procurement processes, increasing the combat readiness of the Armed Forces, making the army more transparent and accountable,” the Minister noted.

Presenting the main tasks for 2019, the Minister of Defense stated that one of the important priorities is the continuous improvement of the complementary system of organizing mandatory and contract service.

“We also consider the increase in the efficiency of managing our material and human resources to be of utmost priority and will direct reforms towards creating systems based only on principles and smart solutions in the areas of army supply and personnel management, excluding any potential bias and abuses. We must continue to work on enhancing the combat readiness of the Armed Forces. In this regard, we always emphasize both the education and combat training of personnel and the supply of modern armaments and military equipment,” he added.

Davit Tonoyan concluded that among the priorities for Armenia’s defense sector in 2019 are also steps to promote the defense industry and the continued development of international cooperation.

During the consultation, the officials responsible for the sector reported to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the work being done in military construction, the steps taken to enhance the combat readiness of the Armed Forces, as well as the current geopolitical situation in the region and the operational situation along the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line. The Prime Minister issued relevant instructions.