YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS. Armenia will test existing developments of its military-industry and will commence serial production after being convinced in their combat-worthiness, and moreover the production must be aimed at exporting, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in parliament when asked by My Step Alliance lawmaker Andranik Kocharyan to present the activities in the direction of the defense industry.

“The military industry complex is one of the sectors where we, especially the little money allocated in the research sector, are spending with much difficulty or aren’t able to spend at all. Turns out certain infrastructures, first of all specialized capabilities are required for spending this money. And we have this problem. Our policy is that serious funding must be allocated to the military industry in order for the wheels to start turning.  Today we have certain success, we have certain developments which can as a result have very serious serial production. But at this phase our objective is to test these developments, be convinced in their combat-worthiness, and then commence serial production”, Pashinyan said.

He said the production must be aimed for exports.

“The arms industry is a very big market in the world, and we must try to have an offer there”.

“We believe the military industrial complex must be based on new technologies. We must create new things”, he added, noting that Armenia should have its own ideas and implement them.

According to Pashinyan, this is a strategic direction.

“For example, if we are manufacturing a type of weapon that is for a long time being manufactured in various other places, frankly speaking I don’t find this to be a military-industrial complex”.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan