Pashinyan: We should be ready for any development so long as Artsakh conflict remains unsettled
Accompanied by National Assembly Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan, MPs from My Step parliamentary faction and senior army officials, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia visited today Yerablur Military Pantheon to pay tribute to the heroes who fell during the April War of 2016 and those who sacrificed their lives in the Artsakh Liberation War.
The prime minister laid flowers at the graves of Sparapet Vazgen Sargsyan, General Andranik Ozanian, and the April War heroes. Pashinyan talked to the latter’s family members, expressing his sympathy and support. The premier laid a wreath at the Memorial to Perished Freedom Fighters. A requiem service was held at Yerablur, his office reports.
In a briefing with journalists, answering a question about the lessons learned from the April War, Pashinyan said: “I have repeatedly referred to this issue in the past, and today it is high on my government’s agenda: we must deeply and seriously understand what happened then and make relevant conclusions.”
Concerning his latest meeting with Azerbaijan’s President and the situation at the Line of Contact, the premier stated, in part: “The negotiations and the peace process need to be continued, but as long as the conflict remains unsettled, we should be prepared for any development as a nation.”
Touching upon the Armenian Defense Minister’s statement made at a recent meeting with the representatives of the Armenian community in New York, he noted: “There is too much pointless talk about Davit Tonoyan’s statement. To be honest, if Davit Tonoyan had made another statement, I would have dismissed him from the post of defense minister. In fact, the defense minister has said that we should strive to be on the winning side should a war break out. This does not shade the peace process in any way; on the contrary, it stresses the importance of the peace process. Note that the minister of defense is acting under prime minister’s supervision and subordination.”
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