Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a consultative meeting with the senior officers of the Armed Forces at Defense Ministry Headquarters. The meeting was attended by Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan, the Deputy Chiefs of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Artak Davtyan and others.

Addressing those present, the Prime Minister said:
“Generals and Officers,
Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to see you. Indeed, we would all like this meeting to take place in a slightly different setting and atmosphere. The state and the nation, we all are facing a severe trial, but I want to stress that even at this challenging time of trial none of us can underestimate those indisputable merits rendered to our country by the generals, officers, sergeants, privates of the Armed Forces of Armenia, including those present in this hall.

Let me state that we are bound by shared responsibility, and I am confident that we will live up to the task in a dignified manner. Please rest assured that the government has always kept and will continue to keep in the spotlight the needs of the armed forces. Of course, this means that we have to discuss, analyze, answer a number of questions in order to form a common vision of the future of our armed forces, based primarily on the opinions of those highly experienced generals and officers who are familiar with the armed forces and know the concept of army management through daily work, daily effort, and daily experience.

I would like to once again thank you all for selfless service. These are not just words; I hope you have always felt that the Government and I personally highly appreciate your contribution to the Homeland. You know that by virtue of the law, Colonel General Onik Gasparyan has been relieved of the post of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. I wish to extend a vote of thanks to Mr. Gasparyan for the services rendered to the Republic of Armenia not only during his tenure as Chief of the General Staff, but throughout his military career, because he has spent most of his years in Armenia’s armed forces.

You also know that I submitted a petition to the President of the Republic if Armenia to appoint Lieutenant General Artak Davtyan as Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. Mr. Davtyan used to serve as Chief of the General Staff in 2018-2020, and in this respect, everyone knows him through his work.

I am confident that together we will be able to stand the test, and the Armed Forces, the Republic of Armenia, and our state will emerge stronger from this test. I would like to ask all those present to continue serving as generals, officers of the Armed Forces, as the strongholds of the institution that is supposed to guarantee the security and territorial integrity of Armenia. I trust you as I am convinced that you are sincere in your service.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that your service deserves the highest praise, which can never be challenged in ant way and under any circumstances.”

The Premier noted that a more detailed conversation will be held at another meeting following the appointment of the new Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. At the same time, he stressed that unity is what matters most in this challenging period.

“Thank you for your attention, and God help us! We should help each other so as not to lose the dream that inspires each of us in our service for the sake of the Republic of Armenia, for the sake of Artsakh, for the sake of the Armenian people,” Nikol Pashinyan concluded.