Armenian defense minister Suren Papikyan believes that the proposal by the Armenian side to Azerbaijan on mutual arms control will benefit the region. Papikyan noted about this at a press conference Wednesday.

When asked about the abovementioned proposal made recently by the prime minister of Armenia, Papikyan noted that there is international track record and standards in this matter. According to him, countries can control and limit weapons by mutual agreement. Papikyan believes that such an agreement and its implementation will be beneficial for the region, preventing from entering into an arms race.

"Our [i.e. Armenia’s] task is to have a combat-ready army—as one of the guarantees of territorial integrity and sovereignty," stressed the Armenian defense minister.

When asked about the proposal to limit the use of weapons, the minister stated that in order to talk about the mechanisms, they must be acceptable to everyone.

“At the moment, there is no desire to comment on something that has not yet received a response. When it happens, we can discuss and raise issues,” Papikyan said, adding that he considers it inappropriate to discuss the non-agreed issue.

When asked whether the military balance has been violated, the defense minister repeated that Armenia does not intend to enter into an arms race with anyone, including Azerbaijan, citing the difference in the size of the budget as one of the reasons, with all the consequences arising from it.

"If we want long-term peace in the region, we need political will to establish control and increase trust," added Papikyan.