We are the ones who must guarantee our safety – Pashinyan urges not to rely on foreign guarantees

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Armenia must ensure its security not only through its soldiers and army but also through the policies it pursues, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated during a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the Armenian government is implementing a balanced foreign policy, not a complementary one.

Addressing regional matters, Pashinyan remarked: "When the decision about our participation in the 3+3 format was being made, and we chose to participate, that decision faced serious criticism. However, I can now confidently say that participating in discussions on the 3+3 platform was the right choice, as it highlights the regional dimension of our foreign policy."

Speaking about relations with Iran, the Prime Minister noted that these relations are stable. "These ties are not the result of a political decision. Rather, the political decision is a consequence of this stability, which emphasizes and strengthens the context of our relationship. The same can be said about our relations with Georgia," he added.

Addressing the question of how security issues will be resolved, he said: "We haven't noticed that, during a significant part of our independence, we've placed the burden of foreign policy on the soldier’s shoulders, just as we've placed the burden of governance on the soldier's shoulders. That's not how it should be.  There is only one security guarantee, and that is peace—having normal, stable relations with your neighbors. There is no other security guarantee."

"There is also a lot of talk about foreign guarantees. But after all this, we should no longer believe in them. We must guarantee our own security, not just with soldiers and the army, but through our politics, economy, socio-psychology, words, and our ability to resist provocations," Pashinyan emphasized.