Military Reform in Armenia to Be Implemented Regardless of Karabakh Conflict

Romania, Bulgaria, the U.S. and Germany are ready to assist Armenia in planning the defense and budget. The reforms will be implemented regardless of the availability of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, RA Deputy Defense Minister, Colonel Lieutenant Artur Aghabekyan stated during the EAPC seminar on “Economic Aspects of Security: Improving Governance of the Defense Sector”. In his words, Armenia doesn’t set complete re-armament as objective. “The reformation doesn’t suppose the formation of army with the purpose of settling the conflicts available by force. Our only goal is the formation of defense complex for resisting all kinds of threats. During the meetings with NATO representatives we always stress that Baku’s statements on the military settlement of the Karabakh conflict and the aims the state set to itself within the scope of NATO do not correspond to each other,” he noted. The Deputy Defense Minister clarified that the defense expenditures within the Armenia-NATO cooperation framework should not exceed 3% of the GDP. “However if Azerbaijan keeps on the policy of militaristic statements Armenia can review the per cent,” Aghabekyan underscored.