Ruben Rubinyan: Relying on a Single Source for Security Simply Doesn’t Work

YEREVAN — For over three decades, Armenia has depended on a single source—Russia and its affiliated security organizations—for its national security.

Speaking during a panel at the Yerevan Dialogue conference, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Ruben Rubinyan stated:

“Previous Armenian governments, including our own prior to the 2020 war, believed that this reliance was sufficient to guarantee Armenia’s security and territorial integrity. However, as events have unfolded, it has become clear that depending on only one source for security simply does not work. When the time comes, the security organizations and countries that are obligated to intervene either fail to do so or are unwilling to act. We can debate the reasons, but the fact remains—it didn’t happen.

As a result, we have witnessed ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, and Azerbaijan has occupied approximately 200 square kilometers of Armenia’s sovereign territory. It has become evident that Armenia needs to diversify its security strategy—not just in the realm of defense, but across the board,” Rubinyan emphasized.

He further explained that Armenia has now adopted a balanced and multi-vector foreign policy. This means the country seeks deeper cooperation with the European Union, closer ties with the United States, France, and India. “We are pleased to see our security cooperation with India deepening further,” Rubinyan added.