YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has set a task to conduct the border protection function every year more and more through the border guard troops. The country will consistently move on the path of creating a professional army, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the joint session of the parliamentary standing committees, dedicating to the debate of the 2022 state budget draft.

“The defense budget for 2022 is higher by 11% compared to that of 2021, comprising more than 345 billion drams. We will consistently move on the path of creating a professional army in Armenia, but we will do that with smooth, well-thought steps, by gradually raising the attractiveness of the military service, improving the image of an officer and officer service, and developing and improving Armenia’s military doctrine”, the PM said.

He stated that the protection of the country’s borders in this new security environment remains a key priority. “We have set a task to carry out the function of the protection of borders every year more and more through the border troops, having the vision of conducting only the border troops service in our borders in the future”, he said.

He emphasized that the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia’s territory, in particular the Sotk-Khoznavar section, as well as the launch of the border demarcation and delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan can create favorable conditions for solving this issue.

“As for the country’s defense strategy, we have already highlighted in the government’s action plan that Armenia, like any peaceful-loving state, will develop and reform the Armed Forces not into an aggression, but for defending itself from aggression. Armenia has no intention to capture territories”, the PM added.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan