YEREVAN, MAY 1, ARMENPRESS. Nikol Pashinyan says he believes that the country’s military spending must be adequate to the regional situation.

Republican Party (HHK) faction MP Tajat Vardapetyan asked the candidate for Prime Minister during today’s parliamentary hearing about his views on Armenia’s military spending.

“Do I find that today Armenia has a need for increasing military spending? Yes, I do. Today Armenia has a need to increase military spending. I am convinced that we will be able to significantly increase budget revenues, which will result in significant increases of military spending as well,” Pashinyan said.

In response to the MP’s observation that former president of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili is expecting Nikol Pashinyan’s clear attitude regarding his return to Georgia, Pashinyan assured that he didn’t have any ties and doesn’t have any ties with Saakashvili.

“I don’t personally know Saakashvili, I have never had any interaction with him. What is happening in Armenia has received a wide reaction in the world. If we now try to understand who were the ones that expressed attitude we will see that they were people of various nationalities and various orientations. This doesn’t anyhow impact on what is happening. Saakashvili’s return to Georgia is exclusively the domestic business of Georgia and Saakashvili’s business”, Pashinyan said.

Vardapetyan also asked how Pashinyan imagines the NK conflict settlement without compromise. Pashinyan answered that it is unclear for him why one of the parties should speak about compromise when the other party is announcing about intentions of capturing Yerevan.

“Speaking about compromise makes sense when both parties speak about it. I have always said that it is ridiculous when the Armenian side responds to Azerbaijan’s threats with conversations about compromise”, he said.

The extraordinary sitting has kicked off in the Armenian parliament where lawmakers are debating the election of a new Prime Minister. 102 MPs are in attendance.

The only nominated candidate for Prime Minister is opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan.

Pashinyan was nominated by the opposition Yelk faction.

Two other factions – Tsarukyan and the ARF – have endorsed the opposition MPs candidacy.

Pashinyan will need at least 53 votes to be elected Prime Minister, which means he will require at least 6 votes from the ruling party.

There are 4 factions in the Armenian parliament. The Republican Party (HHK) faction, the ruling party of Armenia, has 58 seats in the 105-seat unicameral parliament of Armenia – known as the National Assembly.  The ARF faction – (Armenian Revolutionary Federation aka Dashnaktsutyun), has 7 seats. The Tsarukyan alliance has 31 seats, and the Yelk faction has 9 seats. 

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan