The Armenian Armed Forces is in a rather intensive phase of arms acquisitions and modernization, Defense Minister of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan said during 6th Armenia-Diaspora conference. “You know that Azerbaijan has chosen arms race, but we do not conduct a policy of “quantity against quantity”. The Armenian Armed Forces is pursuing an effective management of arms”, Sargsyan said.
Vigen Sargsyan noted that following the April war serious works have been done to reinforce the front line and make it more secure.
“We have got a strong front line and following the April incidents it has qualitatively changed in terms of installing videotaping devices. Now the service of the front line servicemen has become safer. Of course, this does not mean there are no shootings. There are shootings and sometimes we suffer loses, but in such cases we retaliate 3 times stronger. This is a principle for us”, Vigen Sargsyan stated.
The Defense Minister also referred to Armenia-Russia military cooperation and the official visits paid by him. “I paid my first visit to Russia as a Defense Minister, and despite the existing rumors Russia was and remains our reliable ally”, he said.
He emphasized that Russia sells arms to Armenia with favorable conditions and is of key importance for Armenia’s arms acquisitions. “But this does not mean we have no other links. My second visit was to Greece. I have also been to neighboring Georgia and Iran, and in China recently”, Vigen Sargsyan said, adding that in the near future he plans to pay a visit to Canada.