From October 21 to 22 Minister of Defence of RA, Vigen Sargsyan visited the Defence Army by a business call in the framework of the program on the exchange of experience, coordination of activities and the military cooperation between two Armenian republics. According to the Press Release of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Armenia, during the two-day business visit the current and upcoming issues on the military cooperation between the two Armenian countries were clarified, the main activities, which are necessary for restraining the enemy’s aggressive aspirations and making the suppression and counteraction mechanisms more efficient were elucidated.
A week ago during the discussion of the government program at the National Assembly Minister of Defence Vigen Sargsyan noted that by excluding the cases of corruption and patronage they would settle the issues on strengthening the environment of justice and transparency, ensuring the human rights and fundamental freedoms, “With joint efforts we will break the stereotype that the military unit is a place for giving presents and delivering nice speeches from time to time. The Army is the biggest institutional structure of RA”. He noted some of the priority issues of the MoD, emphasized also the expansion of the opportunities of women to get in military service voluntarily, creating the conditions to ensure the equal rights and guarantees for their professional advancement. Vigen Sargsyan gave an interview to the TV station of Artsakh Republic in which he detailed the activities to be done in the field of defence. Pointing out the open aggressive politics of Azerbaijan, the wish to settle the NK issue in military ways,
he noted that our military roster should be built by responding that logic. According to him, the attempts of Azerbaijan will continue as long as “the enemy does not start loving its children more than he hates our children” as in due course Prime Minister of Israel Gold Meir said (The government of Israel from 1969 to1974 was run by woman –prime minister Gold Meir – E.G.)”. Speaking about the problems of the system, the Minister of Defence noted that it’ a reflection of people’s love towards Armed forces and the army, “We highly appreciate the solider standing at the border, we generally love the army in an amorphous way, but we refute to define clearly that there is a commander between the soldier and the victory”. Here he pointed out the underestimation of the officer’s work, the necessary work for the formation of the right perception of the officer’s character, as well as he highlighted the complete eradication of the corruption in the Armed forces and in the army, noting that very strict and consistent work should be implemented in that direction with the wide inclusion of the society. As a next important issue he distinguished the issue of “smart armament”, “They compel us arms race. We should be able to make a step forward and get ready not for yesterday’s war but for tomorrow’s war, and while preparing for tomorrow’s war we should soberly evaluate what we need, what we have in our armory and what should be added in order to make that struggle a giver witha minimum means and an obtainer with maximum results.
Even if we have had all the resources of the world, the arms race always leads to the destruction of economies- both in rich economies and in the developing ones. Therefore, the one who makes that race, he also has that problem. We should review the temptation that we must necessarily have the same type of weapon opposite to everything and go for a “smart armament””. Strengthening the system as much as possible so that it would be possible to reach the complete realization of the security of NKR people and the right of self-determination, “This is not a territorial conflict, it is not a restoration of historical justice, this is a struggle for national security and for independently determining its own destiny. Therefore, defence system, the armed forces will do the utmost in order not to have any concessions directed to the reduction of these rights”, says Vigen Sargsyan. Touching upon “nation-army” formula, discussions that it leads to the militarization, he did not agree, clearing up “It does not mean the militarization of the nation, but our society should consider itself a part of our national army… i.e. as far as we will comprehend our function as a part of defence system”. Thus, the newly appointed Minister of Defence acts in support of building a solid bridge between the armed forces and the state administration system on the way of the civil administration of the Ministry of Defence. After the four-day war in April it was much spoken about “learning lessons” and oversights at the Ministry of Defense and in the army. According to some information, indeed expansive work is done at the contact line in the NKR, which is very praiseworthy. But what and in what direction changes in Armenia? If the complete realization of the security of the NK people and the right of self-determination, the international recognition of Artsakh is a matter of serious diplomatic work, then the function of the Ministry of Defence and the army in that process is completely different. To begin with the fact that, unfortunately, the authorities of RA are limited to the occasional statements on the international recognition of Artsakh, whereas now more than ever in the conditions of licentiousness of Aliev’s regime, subjecting the mediators to blackmail, it is possible to come to some agreements on the international recognition of NK by the international community. In addition to this, nothing substantial is done to return NK to the negotiation’s table, whereas let’s note that the American side in the OSCE Minsk group constantly emphasizes the issue of NK status, i.e. there is also a placefor diplomatic work. Now let’s turn to the main emphases in the last statements made by Vigen Sargsyan’s. The meaning of the “smart armament” is that “Iskander” and “Smerch” are constraining factors, but not a guarantee of recording victory over the enemy at a possible war time or to reach advantage at not war- not peace conditions. Therefore, there is no use in spending money on purchasing the same armament as the enemy has; going for arms race will mean to play by the “game rules” of Aliev in terms of resource. With “smart armament” Armenia must impose peace on Azerbaijan by efficient management. If the Armenian side has succeeded to record victories in Karabakh war at the beginning of 1990ss at the imposed war in the conditions of significant differences of resources, then now the issue of the Armenian side must be to push Aliev to peace with “smart armament”. In that way it would be possible to neutralize Aleiv’s “resource advantage”. Thus, going forward in the way of the “smart armament” mentioned by Vigen Sargsyan is the right version. Now the thing is that not to make this idea an advertising expression for the authorities, but to implement work in this direction in practice. The same applies to Vigen Sargsyan’s offered “nation-army” idea. we are proud of our army and solider, but overall there is not a state-civic approach to that. It does not mean that the army should become a burden for the economy of Armenia, on the contrary the army should outline the development directions for the economy. I.e. we should not get assured by toasts at the tables, by posts on social networks or notices in the streets or on cars how much our citizens love our soldiers but by our work. That will be the state-civic approach, by which overall the vision of the army and the state will be formulated.
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EMMA GABRIELYAN
“Aravot”
