Defense Minister: Armenia optimizing size, structure of armyFebruary 22, 2021 - 15:31 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia is reforming the army after the recent hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, optimizing the size of the army, and switching to new systems of weapons and military equipment, Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan said in an interview with RIA Novosti. "Military reforms in Armenia are not just planned, they are already underway, and our Russian colleagues are directly involved in the process," Harutyunyan said. According to him, most efforts will be directed to the development of command and control systems, intelligence, electronic warfare, air defense and unmanned aircraft, missile forces and artillery. The Defense Minister said the reforms were discussed with Russian military officials who visited Armenia in late January. Harutyunyan added that Yerevan is counting on Moscow's role in the peacekeeping process in Karabakh. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev on November 9 signed a statement to end the war in Karabakh after almost 45 days. Under the deal, the Armenian side has returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities. 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 | Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. |