YEREVAN. – Secretary of Armenia’s National Security Council Arthur Baghdasaryan said country’s security is a priority task.

Asked by reporters to comment on the recent statement by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that his country’s population may exceed Armenians ten times, Baghdasaryan said his remarks are made for domestic and external public.

Aliyev should not forget how many people leave his country, he added. In any case, he is confident the saying “If you want peace, prepare for war” is topical for Armenia and the country must strengthen its defense capabilities every day.

Commenting on high rates of migration, Baghdasaryan said that the problem is of course a concern, but the migration exists in all countries, and the reasons are different.

In this context, he expressed skepticism about the opinion, according to which the Russian program of assistance to compatriots is a catalyst for migration in Armenia.

“Would migration disappear if there were no such program?” he noted, adding that Russia has similar programs in many countries.