We Often Think We Are the Only Country in the World with Enemies, Says Hakob Arshakyan

“The main priority of the ruling political force is to unblock Armenia and establish long-term peace.” This was stated by Hakob Arshakyan, a member of the “Civil Contract” faction and candidate for Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, during his concluding speech from the parliament podium.

“We often think we are the only country in the world that has enemies, the only one that is at war. And that uniqueness makes us special, drives us into a corner, and forces us to call for help from the whole world, blaming the entire world for injustice and inaction, shifting our problems onto others,” said Arshakyan.

He recalled that Armenia is, unfortunately, not the only one, referencing the countless wars and conflicts that exist everywhere. “One of our main problems should be that Armenia and the Armenian people are guided not by hatred but by the interests of the state, not by emotions, but by rational thinking, not by placing hope in other powers but by establishing proper allied relations, not by searching for traitors and culprits within but by uniting forces, assessing omissions and mistakes, so we never repeat the same errors again,” he emphasized.

Arshakyan added that he would be pleased if Armenia’s defense industry, technologies, and defense sector received funding earlier, noting he does not mention this to cast blame but to highlight a point from which lessons should be learned. “When we talk about corruption in the army, we do this not to place all the sins on others but to ensure that no one attempts to behave in such a way again. When we say, ‘let's stop the conflict and be constructive,’ we do not say this out of fear; we say it because it aligns with our state’s and people’s interests,” he concluded.