Armenia forced to upgrade defense – president

Interfax, Russia
Nov 30 2012

Armenia forced to upgrade defense – president

YEREVAN. Nov 30

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stands for the return of Stepanakert
to the Karabakh settlement negotiations.

“I would like to emphasize that the region may attain lasting peace
and stability only on condition of guaranteed physical security of
Karabakh people and their right to make independent decisions on their
future,” the Armenian president said in greetings to the international
scientific forum, “Regional Security Dynamics in the South Caucasus.”

“In this context, the return of the Karabakh Republic to the
settlement process is very important,” he said.

“The regional arms race unleashed by Azerbaijan, militarist statements
and propaganda of Armyanophobia (a phobia of Armenia) on the top state
level create serious threats to the security of Armenia and the entire
South Caucasus,” he said. “In this situation Armenia is forced to
concentrate on the reform and modernization of its defense as a factor
of deterrence of militarist aspirations of Azerbaijan and provision of
stability in the South Caucasus,” Sargsyan said.

The international forum takes place in Yerevan on November 29-30. Its
organizers are the Armenian Defense Ministry’s National Strategy
Research Institute and the Political Science Association of Armenia.

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