There has been border tension that has been resolved, I see no problem - Tonoyan

There have been some reductions in the credit allocation provided to the Ministry of Defense in the structure of the state budget, which has been directed towards enhancing our capabilities. Today, on November 4, following the budget discussions, Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan stated:

In response to the question of how he relates to the Prime Minister's announcement that funds obtained from the fight against corruption are intended for the defense sector, Tonoyan replied that they will welcome it with great joy. "Any non-budgetary addition that enhances our capabilities, I, as the Minister of Defense, highly appreciate, and it has always been the case," he said.

Tonoyan confirmed that there has been an increase in border tension last week. "In the short term, there was border tension both in Artsakh and on the Armenian border, which has been resolved, I see no problem." He is confident that there is an acceptable solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue for the peoples of Armenia, Artsakh, and Azerbaijan.

“If there is a solution, and any people do not agree to it, the same tension will continue. I believe that such a solution exists,” he said.

Regarding the Su-30 aircraft, Tonoyan stated that they will arrive either in December or January-February. "I keep repeating this, as if there is a little faith, right?" the minister added, noting that the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia are acquiring new, modernized weaponry from various countries.

He assured that the Russian 102nd military base located in Gyumri is also being modernized in terms of armament, logistical support, and improving the living conditions of servicemen.

There will be no increase in the land area of this military base. "More accurately, some area is being provided, some area that is already unused, is being transferred to the Republic of Armenia, but all of these areas remain part of the territory of the Republic of Armenia. They are simply given for use," he noted.

Addressing the question regarding the modernization of the barracks' dining facilities, he said, "We have already reached 38-40 percent, and the plan is that by 2020 we should finish with the barracks and move on to the front line."

According to Tonoyan, both the living conditions of the servicemen and the speeds of logistical support and armament have significantly increased. "This is due to high motivation. There have been processes before, but now significant changes have occurred in a short time," he said.