Yerevan: opposition demands to purchase American weapons

Armenia needs to diversify the sources of buying weapons, as well as obtain the status of an US ally outside NATO, the participants of the action organized by the "National Democratic Pole" (NDP) movement in Yerevan claim.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 23, Nikol Pashinyan called the Iskander missiles systems acquired from Russia combat-ineffective. Experts note this is an unfounded claim to Russia, and only a person with insufficient knowledge about modern arms could call the Iskander missile systems outdated weapons. The statements voiced by Nikol Pashinyan threaten the Armenian-Russian relations, suggests opposition leader Vazgen Manukyan.

On March 5, NDP activists held another rally near the "Matenadaran", the storage of ancient manuscripts, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

According to organizers, about 150 supporters of the movement took part in the action.

"This is a new national liberation struggle," Zhirair Sefilyan, one of the leaders of the movement, stated at the rally.

For Armenia, security issues are the priority; therefore, it should diversify sources of its weapons, Ara Papyan, a political analyst, stated at the rally. He also suggested applying for the status of a US ally outside NATO (a Major Non-NATO Ally).

"The war in Artsakh (the self-name of Nagorno-Karabakh) has shown the threats of buying weapons from a single source. This step is not aimed against someone; it will increase chances for ensuring security," Mr Papyan has stressed.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 6, 2021 at 01:11 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.