Security Council's Commentary on Onik Gasparyan's Statements

The spokesperson for the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia has commented on the statements made by Onik Gasparyan, the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, regarding his remarks and proposals during the Security Council meeting on August 14, 2020.

In response to a question from Ayrmenpress, the press secretary stated:

- Former Chief of the General Staff, Onik Gasparyan, has made several comments in response to Prime Minister Pashinyan's statements in the parliamentary inquiry commission that relate to his remarks and proposals made during the Security Council meetings, particularly on August 14, 2020. How do you comment on these?

- Onik Gasparyan has distorted his report made during the Security Council meeting on August 14, 2020, in his June 28 statement. On that day, Gasparyan specifically stated that in the Eastern and North-Eastern operational directions, we can repel the adversary’s attack and crush its formations based on the principle of 'not a single step back,' without emphasizing the role of Turkey. He provided information about the force ratio in the Nakhchivan and Turkey operational directions and highlighted the challenges. He also noted that he sees a large part of the solutions to these issues within the framework of the establishment and development of a volunteer force. The Security Council approved all the proposed solutions to the issues raised by Onik Gasparyan during that meeting.

Later, during the 44-day war, Armenia did not face the military challenges mentioned by Onik Gasparyan in the Nakhchivan and Turkey operational directions. Despite this, under Mr. Gasparyan's leadership, the Armed Forces were unable to fulfill the commitment and promise made during the Security Council meeting to repel the adversary’s attack, fail it, and crush its formations based on the 'not a single step back' principle.