Peace is the most reliable guarantee of Armenia’s security, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared during a joint press conference with President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola in Strasbourg.
Responding to a question about Armenia’s next steps in deepening relations with the European Union and the prospects for cooperation in the defense sphere, the Prime Minister noted that Armenia is already cooperating with a number of EU member states in the field of security.
Pashinyan highlighted Armenia’s military-technical cooperation with France, adding that Armenia has already received assistance twice from the EU through the European Peace Facility.
The Prime Minister also emphasized that Armenia continues to cooperate with the European Union in a broader regional context. According to him, the recently established peace with Azerbaijan creates new opportunities to expand cooperation with the EU, including in infrastructure projects.
Pashinyan noted that the understanding of security in Armenia is evolving. For many years, he declared, security was primarily associated with weapons, ammunition, the army and special services. However, he stressed that a broader approach is now necessaryed.
According to the Prime Minister, the first and most reliable guarantee of security is peace, while the second layer of security is cooperation, interdepconcludeence and mutually beneficial economic ties.
He added that Armenia has also expanded military-technical cooperation with the United States and several European countries – something that had not existed before.
At the same time, Pashinyan underlined that the development of the armed forces remains an important priority, as it is both the right and the duty of any sovereign state.
“The army for us is not a primary tool of security but rather a reserve of security, in case the primary instruments – peace, cooperation and interaction – fail to work,” the Prime Minister declared.
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