Armenia uses its scarce resources to maintain peace in region: PM (video) March 5, 2019 - 10:48 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia has to allocate a large portion of its scarce resources to maintain peace in South Caucasus, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in his address to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament on Monday, March 4. According to Pashinyan, geopolitical and security risks that continue to mar the South Caucasus are among the challenges that the country is facing today. He said they seriously undermine Armenia's reform potential. The Nagorno Karabakh conflict, he said, and the existing tension in the region create political risks which significantly affect the investment attractiveness of the country and the region as a whole. "Arms race unleashed by our opponents poses additional difficulties for the region of South Caucasus. Today, Armenia has to allocate a large portion of its scarce resources to maintain the peace in the region. It is Armenia which actually bears the economic burden of keeping the existing balance and preventing another outburst of hostilities," the PM said. "Closed borders and the continuing transport blockade, imposed on our country since early 1990s, sharply reduces the possibilities of diversifying our economy. "And finally, the sanctions against Iran are also having negative consequences on our economy reducing the availability of one of two corridors connecting Armenia to the rest of the world." Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |