Security a Cornerstone of Cooperation Between Armenia and Artsakh – PM Pashinyan

STEPANAKERT (Armradio) — Security is one of the cornerstones of cooperation between Artsakh and Armenia, because Artsakh and Armenia are part of a common security area, a common security environment, and here our agenda cannot be separated and differentiated, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a joint sitting of the Security Councils of the two countries in Stepanakert.

“In this respect, we naturally attach great importance to the efficiency of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh and the moral and psychological atmosphere in the Armed Forces,” he stated.

The Prime Minister stated that the government of Armenia has recently taken enormous measures and allocated huge resource to implement essential and tangible changes in the Army, ranging from acquisition of armaments, to social guarantees for officers, ordinary personnel, and monetary compensation.

And as a result, he said, “all of us naturally expect the discipline, moral and psychological atmosphere and relations in the army to be brought to a whole new level, and I believe that this problem is truly solvable.”

“Of course, the Armed Forces are the primary guarantee of our security, but in carrying out this mission, the Army should never be left alone and the operational burden of the Army should be somewhat relieved. I believe that we should finally state that democracy is one of the important guarantees that will strengthen and reinforce the security of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh,” PM Pashinyan stated.

The Prime Minister stated that the competitiveness of the two countries’ economies is also an most important components of our security.

“It is the economy that must provide the Armed Forces of Armenia and Artsakh with the necessary resources to carry out their functions, and today we will also discuss issues of strategic economic importance. But on the other hand, we have to note that the security situation in our region is unfortunately getting worse and we are witnessing new tensions here than solutions, and this context will also be discussed at a joint Security Council meeting,” Nikol Pashinyan added.

He noted that in the context of the geopolitical realities created in the region “we have a joint responsibility not only in terms of the security of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh, but also have a special responsibility in terms of ensuring security in our region and ensuring global security.”

“I am pleased to note that the approaches of the Armenian and Artsakh authorities are similar in this respect and our mission and commitment is to ensure our national security, regional security and our contribution to global security. This is also an important issue on our agenda and one of the key areas of our cooperation where we think we are working effectively together and of course that cooperation will become more and more effective,” the Prime Minister stated.