Statements from Azerbaijan on Armenian Military Reforms Cause Concern, Says Nikol Pashinyan

Overall, I believe that establishing peace is within the interests of the international community and investors, but of course, I want to note that the primary beneficiaries of peace are actually Armenia and Azerbaijan. This theoretical thesis, which sounds very theoretical, can gradually express itself materially, especially in light of the significant agreements we have reached with Azerbaijan over the past five months. This expression indicates that, ultimately, it is the peoples of Armenia and Azerbaijan who are the beneficiaries of peace.

This was stated by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in an interview with British media, responding to remarks concerning various statements from Azerbaijan regarding the reforms and modernization of the Armenian Armed Forces. He noted that these statements are concerning.

“You rightly pointed out that if we look at the ratio of the military budgets of Azerbaijan and Armenia, there is a significant imbalance. This ratio is also formed through the revenues of Azerbaijan, as you mentioned in the transactions. But even under these conditions, Azerbaijan reacts very aggressively to the reforms of the Armenian Armed Forces, the acquisition of weapons and equipment, despite the fact that we all understand that these have exclusively defensive significance. No country can dispute another country's right to have a combat-ready army,” he said.

Pashinyan stated that having a combat-ready army is, yes, sometimes used for war, but it is also used for peace, to create a correct balance of forces. This is also the reason why when Azerbaijan raises these issues, particularly concerning our acquisitions, which do not exceed 15-20 percent of what Azerbaijan has acquired in both financial and volume terms and primarily have a defensive nature, their statements do not go unanswered.

“We have proposed to establish a mutual bilateral mechanism for arms control, so that we can secure our armaments within the framework of these agreements and avoid an arms race in our region. We have proposed and continue to propose that troops pull back mirror-like from the border defined by the Alma-Ata Declaration. This offer remains in effect,” the Prime Minister noted, adding that they have also proposed signing a non-aggression agreement even before reaching consensus on a peace treaty.