YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Armed Forces continue controlling the strategic initiative at the Nakhijevan section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a campaigning event in Ararat.

“As you know, after I was elected prime minister, Azerbaijan very quickly announced that it has captured 11 thousand hectares of area in Nakhijevan. Regrettably, there were forces in Armenia what consciously or unconsciously began to [accept] this disinformation. I hope that you knew from the very beginning that this is total absurd and that the Armenian Armed Forces are confidently defending our borders and security now, just like they’ve confidently defended our borders and security in the past. Certainly, those who have been at the border and the frontline and are aware of these positional nuances know that the positions are subjected to seasonal and other kinds of changes. Basically, we can say for the record the following – the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia are in full control of the strategic initiative, like they’ve been in full control of the strategic initiative in the past,” Pashinyan said.

He said that two weeks ago he visited the Nakhijevan border section to be convinced in this and has personally viewed the situation on location. “I am calling on you, I am proposing us to applaud our soldiers who are now standing at the border. Applaud to our soldiers, our armed forces, our officers and generals,” Pashinyan said.

He said that the government of Armenia, the Armenian people in Armenia, in Artsakh and the Diaspora, realize that the service conditions of soldiers must soon be significantly improves, starting from the diet, up to clothing and arsenal. “And today we are very clearly going in this direction. This is a rather serious work,” Pashinyan said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan