No grounds for escalation because Armenia has proposals and solutions for every issue, says Defense Minister

Armenian Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan doesn’t see any grounds for escalation in the region.

Papikyan commented at a press conference on Wednesday on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s aggressive statements on opening what Baku describes as a “Zangezur corridor”.

“Rhetorics is rhetorics but any kind of aggression requires some grounds. And I, as Minister of Defense, don’t see the grounds for an escalation in the region, because Armenia has proposals and solutions in terms of any issue. And I think through dialogue and discussing our proposals, including through making it more public if needed, it is possible for us to make our approaches and perceptions on achieving peace in the region more accessible for everyone,” Papikyan said.

Asked whether the new strategic partnership pact signed between Armenia and the U.S. can guarantee the security of Armenian borders, Papikyan emphasized that the border security must be guaranteed through balanced policy. Papikyan said that leaving the burden only up to the military or a single partner is not a solution.