VIDEO: Former Defense Minister Responds to Nikol Pashinyan

The former Minister of Defense of Armenia, Arshak Karapetyan, was in Dubai on November 14, 2021, where a highly significant meeting was planned. In a video message released today, Karapetyan responded to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“We had issues regarding the procurement and import of weapons, primarily concerning drones, and I did not have the physical opportunity to report to our leader about the situation at the border,” said the former minister. According to him, the person who should have reported the border situation to the Prime Minister was the individual who remained in Armenia that day, acting as the Minister of Defense in his absence.

He also labeled as an absolute falsehood Pashinyan's assertion that he was appointed at the direction of Russia. “He himself, Pashinyan, confirmed this when he said that he appointed me considering my connections with Russia. We had done substantial work with Russia, and within three years, the Armenian army should have been such that we probably wouldn’t have lost Artsakh and there wouldn't be Azerbaijani troops in other directions,” emphasized Karapetyan.

He recounted that during his tenure as minister, in October, he met with the Azerbaijani side in Russia and agreed that Azerbaijani forces would retreat from the invaded directions. “We were supposed to meet again in two weeks and finalize that issue, but on November 15, Mr. Pashinyan decided to dismiss me from my position,” said Karapetyan.

It is noteworthy that Pashinyan stated in today’s press conference that on the morning of November 14, 2021, Arshak Karapetyan informed him that everything was calm and quiet along the border, while at that moment, Azerbaijani troops had already invaded several areas of Armenia and had even taken positions.