Video: We Need a Strong and Professional Army - Pashinyan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the Ministry of Defense on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the formation of the Armed Forces, where a meeting was held with the participation of the high command of the Armed Forces. Present at the meeting were also Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan, Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan, Minister of Internal Affairs Vahe Ghazaryan, Deputy Minister of Defense, Chief of the General Staff, Major General Edward Asryan, Chairman of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defense and Security Andranik Kocharyan, Director of the National Security Service Armen Abazyan, and other officials.

At the beginning of the event, the state, battle flags of the Armed Forces, and the banner of the Armenian army, the Holy Ashot Iron, were brought into the hall, after which the national anthem of the Republic of Armenia was played. Then, attendees paid tribute with a minute of silence to the soldiers who lost their lives during the tragic incident in the Gegharkunik region on January 19.

Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan was the first to speak, followed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. In his speech, the Prime Minister stated: "Dear Minister of Defense, Deputy Minister of Defense, Chief of the General Staff, esteemed members of the Security Council, gentlemen generals and officers, dear attendees, I congratulate all of us on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of our army's formation and first of all, I wish us all the will that is based on knowledge. Analyzing the history of 31 years, we must note the following: the quality connection between the army and the state is very direct. This connection should compel us to make the development of the army and state quality our daily work. But for this, we must face the problems."

He continued, "Sometimes it often seems to many that we are completely engulfed in problems. That is not the reality, even if we may be deep in these problems, we have not confronted them. I believe we have to start here because all our actions must be based on knowledge and recognition. We must recognize the essence of our problems, all our failures, and all our successes. In this regard, I want to emphasize and share with you our thought process." The army is primarily based on the institution of the officer. We must note that the credit of the officer's rank and their work is an issue of the state's security. An officer cannot ensure the well-being of their own family. This should be our most important note because the officer is the pillar of the state, and thus, the officer in the army, in the special services, in the police. This is where all our problems begin, because we seemed to believe that we could ensure the safety of the state by sending the officer onto the road of getting along without support.

"In the Republic of Armenia, the officer's family must be prosperous. This is our tactical objective, and this problem will guide us. But being an officer must mean carrying special qualities, being an officer must mean having a special understanding of a mission and knowledge of unique professional skills. These realities must be closely connected to each other. And in the context of Armed Forces reforms, this is precisely the formula we are proposing. An officer's professional knowledge, skill, and the prosperity of their family, from a system of social guarantees, housing provision, to the educational opportunities for their family members and children, because we must understand that when a person serves their country in the status of an officer, they spend significantly less time with their family. We must confront these problems and ensure that this reality does not negatively affect the prosperity of the family and the future fate and education of the children. The state must stand by the officer's side, I repeat, without compromising the quality characteristics of the officer at the same time. The next is the professional capabilities and skills of the soldier; here the same standards should apply, just in a different realm. We believe that the process we have initiated within the Armed Forces must lead to the fulfillment of our problems. Overall, I must note that military service is, of course, primarily about discipline, starting from me to all of us. We must think about our model of patriotism. Ultimately, we need to reject the notion of patriotic gesture, where speeches and reality are miles apart from each other. Today we are facing that issue. And this is one of the fundamental problems that we must ultimately solve.

There are female service members present in the hall, and I want to particularly emphasize their service and presence. We need to increase the degree of women's involvement in the Armed Forces, especially in the area of combat service. This is also a crucial direction for our Armed Forces reforms. Additionally, one of our major challenges has been the failure to understand that the army, on its own, cannot carry out the mission of ensuring security if it lacks continuity. In this regard, I want to emphasize the reforms we have initiated regarding reserve management or training. We have held consultations several times, and I have emphasized that the combat readiness we have in the army among servicemen must be, so to speak, delegated to the reserve. And the combat readiness of officers and soldiers currently serving must reach a new quality, which in many cases is still unfamiliar to us. It is only by solving these issues that we will have a new situation, and we must consistently follow this path.

I also want to particularly emphasize the establishment of the reserve as an institution. It is also prevalent to have volunteers and various organizations assisting us these days. I want to thank them for this, but on the other hand, I must emphasize that there cannot be multiple armies in the country; there can only be one army. And all those providing this kind of service for which we are grateful must unambiguously fit into the command framework, and there cannot be any alternatives or compromises there; I want us to recognize this very clearly. The army also operates according to the possibilities that the economy creates. And here we also want to see the connection because we implement reforms in the army, procure weapons and armaments as far as the state budget allows. And the state budget is generated based on the activities of economic operators and the taxes they pay. In 2023, we have increased defense spending by 113% compared to 2018. Part of these expenditures will go to ensuring the social security of servicemen, salary increases, another part to the procurement of armaments and equipment, and another part to engineering works, etc. And I want to also thank all those people in this hall who are engaged in economic activity and pay taxes to the state according to the law. Overall, and particularly in the security sector, it is very important that we change the perception of tax payment among people because, again, I emphasize, it is wrong to perceive that the state takes that money from people in the form of taxes. No, when a person, a citizen pays taxes, they are moving money from their right pocket to their left pocket or vice versa because it is through the taxes paid that the country's security is ensured, roads are built, schools are constructed, and so on. No one will be building a road for themselves, no one will ensure security for themselves, nor will anyone ensure legal order for themselves; and in this respect, it is vital to construct this relationship, primarily on an ideological level.

We need a strong and professional army—with a strong spirit, strong knowledge, strong intellect, strong strength, mastering modern technologies. However, I want to repeat that we need an army not for war, but for peace because the reforms of the Armed Forces are primarily crucial for promoting the peace agenda adopted by the government. We must not deviate from that agenda and must consistently advance the peace agenda.

And finally, I want to thank all our officers, generals, soldiers, rank-and-file personnel, and civil servants who selflessly serve the Homeland. We are going through a very difficult path, and how we go through that path depends on us, exclusively on us and our will, our faith, our dedication, and our integrity. I wish us all success and once again thank all those who serve not only because of duty or work but also with the acknowledgment of soul, heart, faith, and mission. Thank you all, and I congratulate everyone on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the Armenian army."

During the meeting, the best military units and divisions recognized based on the results of the 2022 academic year were presented. There will be ceremonies for the transfer of honor flags to these units in the upcoming days. The event concluded with the performance of the national anthem of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.