YEREVAN. – Armenia will be ready in case of a war, Combat Training Department Head of the General Staff of Armenia’s Armed Forces, Major General Ishkhan Matevosyan stated, during a press conference on Monday, commenting on the bellicose statements made by the Azerbaijani authorities.   

“No war starts suddenly in the morning. The war, or the military confrontation, has a latent period. Our state’s intelligence agencies are following those changes. As of today, preparatory activities for a military clash are not observed from our adversary,” the Major General noted.    

In his words, the militaristic statements by Azerbaijan have several objectives. “First, [they are] for the domestic ‘consumer.’ I am convinced that we will be ready in case of a war,” Matevosyan said.  

In response to the query as to whether Azerbaijan could hit the airplanes flying into the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic capital city’s Stepanakert Airport, he noted: “In theory, the opponent has the capability to strike. [But] The matter should be considered in the diplomatic, [and] political dimension. [Yet] We, the soldiers, will do our job.” 

In his turn, Armenian Defense Minister’s Press Secretary Artsrun Hovhannisyan noted that “we have heard such statements a lot ion the past twenty years,” but none of them have materialized.