“Do not worry, we will have the Chief of the General Staff again. They will just be the first deputy defense minister. Officially, they will be the second person in the Ministry of Defense,” RA Deputy Defense Minister Arman Sargsyan assured at a briefing with journalists in the RA National Assembly. In response to the journalists’ question about if the goal is political control, Arman Sargsyan answered, “There is no problem that the non-military should lead the military. The General Staff is a subordinate state body within the Ministry of Defense. These are real reforms. The military will no longer be the responsible body in the procurement process. They will shape the demand. The military will be far from the financial-purchasing process.”
In response to the question of whether Onik Gasparyan has anything to do with this decision, Arman Sargsyan said absolutely. He urged journalists to receive comments on the statements of the Russian Foreign Minister from the RA Foreign Ministry. He also said about the sitting of the delimitation commission that it will take place in Moscow in the near future. In response to the journalists’ observation about how they say that the RA government presented the situation so badly that Sergey Lavrov does not know whether Parukh is a territory of Armenia or not, Arman Sargsyan answered, “It can not happen. Armenia represents everything for the benefit of Artsakh, for the benefit of Armenia’s security.” In response to the journalist’s observation about if our strategic partner treats our problems in the same way, Armen Sargsyan said, “I would like you to contact the body that will provide clearer information. I do not want to give details on these delicate issues.” In response to the journalist’s question about what demarcation in Parukh means, Arman Sargsyan, addressing the journalist, responded, “I am also very surprised that you are so stubborn.” In response to the journalist’s question about why the statement of the RF Ministry of Defense that the Azerbaijani troops should leave Parukh was not implemented, he answered, “I will not answer again because you made the transition from the Russian Foreign Ministry to the Russian Defense Ministry, but again mentioning the word Parukh.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
