As Azerbaijan's Military Budget Grows, So Do the Family Budgets of Armenian Leaders: Ruben Rubenyan

Ruben Rubenyan, Deputy Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, addressed reporters in parliament regarding Azerbaijan's military superiority and the reasons behind it. He emphasized that Armenia did not increase its military budget as much as necessary during the 2000s. He stated that the Armenian authorities allowed a breach in military balance between 1998 and 2008, which, according to him, led to the 44-day war.

“Those years should have been utilized to strengthen the army, rather than increasing the family budgets of Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan,” he underscored.

Rubenyan also responded to Robert Kocharyan's statements claiming that his years in power were a “peaceful period.” “Yes, it was peaceful, but it was a borrowed peace. While Azerbaijan’s military budget was growing from 1998 to 2008, in Armenia, the family budgets of the country’s leaders were increasing. This also contributed to the onset of war,” he added.