Lusine Avanesyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Stepanakert
Artsakh Defense Minister, Lieutenant-General Levon Mnatsakanyan says excluding war is the primary goal of the structure he heads. The Commander-in-chief of the Defense Army met with reporters today to present the path the Army has passed over 25 years and outline the issues that need to be addressed.
Referring to the aggression Azerbaijan unleashed against Artsakh last April, the Defense Minister said “the Defense Army managed to rebuff the offensive, despite the fact that the rival had put its entire arsenal into action.”
“Azerbaijan had to apply to official Moscow with a request to establish ceasefire just as it was the case in 1994,” the Defense Minister said.
Although military rhetoric is still common in statements coming from Baku, Levon Mnatsakanyan considers it is meant for the domestic audience, but serves as a guiding force for the Armed Forces, as well.
“I don’t think the rival has refused from its intentions and strives to solve issues on the political field. Baku will be trying to solve issues through force and we have to be ready for that. This is what all our efforts should be targeted at,” the Defense Minister said.
Levon Mnatsakanyan presented the changes on the frontline, which, he said, “have helped improve the reliability of defense capacity and the raise the level of security.”
“Our army has never been more powerful,” Levon Mnatsakanyan said. “We have to do our best not to allow the rival to speak with the Artsakh Republic in the language of force. It should know that all its actions are doomed to failure,” the Defense Minister concluded.
The military might of the Artsakh Army will be showcased in the streets of Stepanakert on May 9.
