Opposition MP blames Armenian authorities for ‘deliberate disintegration’ of military

Panorama
Armenia –

MP Tigran Abrahamyan of the opposition With Honor faction has dismissed the authorities’ claims that more weapons have been purchased under the current government than in the past two decades.

In a public post on Facebook on Wednesday, he stressed that they referred to the arms deals which were struck before Nikol Pashinyan came to power in 2018, but their deliveries were made later.

“The matter primarily concerns the state loan of $100 million signed with the Russian Federation after the hostilities in April 2016. Not to mention the fact that the Su-30 fighters they purchased and praised were without ammunition and did not help solve any problems during the 44-day war. According to various estimates, between $140 million and $160 million were spent to acquire 4 aircrafts,” the lawmaker wrote.

“How much free weaponry Armenia received before Pashinyan came to power, and why the army did not receive the necessary weaponry during Pashinyan's time is a subject for another discussion,” Abrahamyan said, adding the authorities “have no moral right” to talk about their “achievements”.

“You are not only responsible for the devastating war, thousands of casualties and wounded, which, as Pashinyan admitted, he could have prevented but did not do, you are also responsible for the deliberate disintegration of the military and the reduction of the defense capabilities of Armenia and Artsakh, thus preparing the ground for concessions,” the MP said.