Azerbaijan's Defense Army's Dismantling Threatens Armenian Existence in the Region, Abrahamyan

The dismantling or abolishment of the Defense Army of Artsakh would cause serious damage not only to Artsakh but to the Armenian statehood in general. This was stated by Tigran Abrahamyan, head of the 'Henarq' analytical center and former advisor on security issues to the President of Artsakh, in an interview with ArmDaily.am.

“Regardless of the fact that Russian peacekeeping forces are carrying out a mission to ensure the security of the Armenian population in Artsakh, the presence of armed forces in Artsakh is necessary. As for the establishment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Artsakh, I would not fully tie this process to it. This is related to changes in the governance system. However, there have been continuous reports on this topic in recent months, and neither the defense ministry nor the leadership of Armenia has provided any clarifications on this,” he emphasized.

He noted that while he has no grievances against the Russian peacekeepers and allies, he believes that the Armenian armed forces should be present both in Armenia and in Artsakh, and that security issues related to Artsakh should be addressed collaboratively, harmonizing all actions.

“In this case, I would not say that I have hope, but I see a possibility that the ultimate authorities of Armenia will not make decisions with the authorities of Artsakh, as this would significantly damage and threaten the existence of Armenians in the region and the national interests of Armenia and Artsakh,” he concluded.