19 SEPTEMBRE 2018
STEPANAKERT—“We are ready for peace… But we are prepared for war,” said Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday after spending the day visiting frontline positions in Artsakh.
Accompanied by Artsakh President Bako Sahakian, Armenia’s Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan, chief of staff of Armenia’s Armed Forces Artak Davtyan and Artsakh Defense Minister Levon Mnatsakanyan, Pashinyan visited border positions in the north of Artsakh and discussed key issues related to troop readiness and the Karabakh conflict resolution process.
“Although the situation on the front line is quite tense, we can still conclude that it is stable and under control,” said Pashinyan in a Facebook Live post after concluding his visit to Artsakh. He elaborated by saying that he and President Sahakian also discussed the political and military situation related to the Karabakh conflict resolution process.
He added that the Armenian soldiers are confidently protecting the border and keeping the situation under control, saying that they are prepared for appropriate retaliatory measures in the event of attacks by Azerbaijan.
“However, this does not mean we want war or we are pushing for war. Instead, we are ready for negotiations—something that we have repeated many times,” said Pashinyan.
The trip, however, wasn’t without incident. While driving through Artsakh, Pashinyan’s convoy was stopped by two bear cubs.
Of course, the incident was posted on Facebook by the prime minister’s aide Nairi Sargsyan.
asbarez.com/175107
