YEREVAN. – Although the Armenian people lost a lot of values during the years of Armenia’s independence, they preserved the army and safeguarded the liberated Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

Literary critic Davit Gasparyan stated the aforesaid at a press conference on Thursday.

“Today we [i.e. Armenians] have a strong and combat-ready army,” Gasparyan said. “But discretion is needed, [and] to develop ways not to have casualties in peacetime, so that the reciprocal shootings [between the Armenian and the Azerbaijani armed forces] stop.”   

In his words, the current political situation is such that the Armenian army must always be efficient and strong.

“We must do everything so that the Armenian army becomes more powerful and combat-ready,” Davit Gasparyan added. “We must keep the army’s spirit pure, and each of us [must] do everything for our army.”

Thursday, January 28 is celebrated in Armenia as Army Day, and 2016 marks the 24th anniversary of the Armenian Armed Forces.