One Cannot Change Defense Ministers Like Socks: Robert Kocharian

It is said that we are not ready to fight for uninhabited mountains. This is an invitation, a "please come" for the Azerbaijanis. This was stated by the second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharian, during a year-end press conference.

According to him, if the country's top leader thinks this way, why should we believe that the contract soldier should think otherwise? In the second president's opinion, this is one of the best ways to decrease the combat readiness of the army.

"Nothing has been done to restore the lost arms of the army. To this day, the complete number of casualties from the war has not been published, which is simply disgraceful. We should have a memorial book containing names, surnames, and brief biographies of the fallen, and this would show a certain respect. It is abnormal to leave this issue in an uncertain state a year later," said Robert Kocharian.

He noted that the army's budget is not such that we can hope these issues will be resolved in the coming year. Robert Kocharian pointed out that in one year, three defense ministers changed, none of whom, according to him, were fit for the job.

"Defense ministers cannot be changed like socks. This is not that position, nor that system. The only explanation for this is that this government is not interested in having a combat-ready army because, in the case of a combat-ready army, the demands of our people towards the government would be different," said Robert Kocharian.