Peace with Azerbaijan ‘most reliable’ security guarantee: Armenian premier

​​​​​​​ISTANBUL

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that establishing peace with Azerbaijan constitutes his country's "most reliable" security assurance while marking the 34th anniversary of the nation's armed forces.

"I also want to emphasize that we are not preparing for war, because there will be no war. Peace has been established between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and there is no more reliable guarantee of security than peace. We will strengthen this most reliable guarantee of security," Pashinyan said in a congratulatory message.

The premier noted that the army is transforming to increase defense capabilities through "huge investments" and the acquisition of modern weaponry of a quality the military never possessed.

International partners previously "politely refused" to sell arms to Yerevan, citing concerns that weapons might be deployed outside Armenia's internationally recognized borders and technical secrets could be exposed to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), according to Pashinyan.

He claimed that as of September 2022, CSTO partners refused to fulfill contractual obligations regarding Armenia's security and withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons already paid for, creating an "existential threat" aimed at nullifying the country's sovereignty.

Pashinyan stated that the danger was surmounted following the October 2022 Prague agreement, where Armenia and Azerbaijan recognized each other's territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, leading Yerevan to freeze its membership in the Russia-led bloc.

"We have clearly stated and continue to state that the Armenian army has no other task than the defense of its internationally recognized territory of 29,743 square kilometers (11,483 square miles)," Pashinyan added, noting that border issues would be resolved through joint delimitation commissions.

He also highlighted social reforms within the military, including the transition to a professional army where the term of compulsory service has been reduced from 24 months to 18 months.