No Disputes Exist Unless We Consider Work Discussions: Davtyan on Disagreements with David Tonoyan

Are there disagreements with Armenia's Minister of Defense David Tonoyan? Journalists posed this question today to the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Artak Davtyan. He responded: 'We have no disputes unless we consider the work discussions, which are often presented as contradictions. If fundamental issues arise, and if necessary, I will resign; I see no problem here. In this diverse field, the minister consults before making decisions, and the Chief of Staff presents approaches that often may not coincide. Politically, the minister is responsible; those reports are more exaggerated than reality.'

Davtyan also addressed the attempts of suicide in the military, stating that they have data and are working on it, as their work would be equivalent to zero without this and analytical materials. He mentioned that they have cases where suicide attempts were made but not completed. He said that parents and law enforcement understand the real reasons behind incidents related to the military. Davtyan noted that some cases contain sensitive personal information he would prefer not to disclose.

The Chief of Staff was also approached with concerns that people are dying in the armed forces while the real culprits are not being punished. In response to the question of whether there are taboos, he remarked: 'There have never been any, nor are there now, even if we wanted. If any officer or official has committed a crime, covering it up is not beneficial for the army first and foremost. Each loss or death is connected to a family; I extend my support to them, but behind this stands the officer corps. Covering up... I don’t know, if there are facts, they should provide them to law enforcement so we can address them. I cannot answer regarding the activities of investigative bodies, even if proven, but the parent may not accept it—this I cannot comment on. These are the results conducted within the criminal case framework; we support, and relevant officers and officials are included as witnesses or in other capacities, there are no taboos.'