Previously, when we were buying weapons from only one or two countries, there were crucial moments when our supply routes were being closed. There were cases when we transferred $100 million, but we were not given the weapons, a decision was imposed on us that contradicted the interests of Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is on vacation and heads the ruling Civil Contract party’s electoral list for Sunday’s parliamentary election in Armenia, on Tuesday stated this during their election campaign in Sevan city—and with respect to Russia.

Pashinyan said that thanks to the support of Armenia’s citizens, he managed to stand firm in the positions of protecting state interests, and today Armenia buys weapons from seven different countries, since the entire international arms market is now open to the country.

According to Pashinyan, diversification has created healthy competition. As soon as Armenia reached an agreement with one of its partners, their competitors in the market immediately offered more favorable conditions and prices. The PM noted that this approach also reflects the incumbent Armenian authorities’ economic strategy aimed at diversifying the export of agricultural products and alcoholic beverages, so that in the event of someone’s “bad mood,” the amount of exports to one specific country do not become a lever to put pressure on Armenia.

“Since 2021, the [Armenian] government has invested 170 billion drams in the military-industrial complex, and today we have a developed military-industrial complex, the main samples of whose products citizens have already been able to see during the [recent] military parade [in Yerevan],” Nikol Pashinyan said.

He added that every time the transition to domestically produced equipment was announced in Yerevan’s Republic Square, the latter literally roared with applause. Also, the PM announced the opening of Armenia’s defense industry exhibition, where an even wider range of local products will be displayed.

At the same time, Pashinyan said that Armenia has already begun exporting its own weapons to developed countries, signing the first contracts worth tens of millions of US dollars.

“From 2021 to 2025, we have increased funding for science by 2.8 times, raised scientists’ salaries by 100-300 percent, and allocated 20 billion drams to re-equip scientific research organizations,” he noted, explaining the successes in Armenia’s defense sector.

The leader of Armenia’s ruling party said that that thanks to these actions, it has already been possible to stop the “brain drain” from Armenia that was once widespread, and now Armenian scientists are returning to Armenia and working in the country.

In addition, the prime minister announced that a joint task with Armenia’s private sector has been set to increase science funding in the country to 1 percent of GDP by 2031.

According to Nikol Pashinyan, the creation of a new quality state will inevitably ensure a new and higher quality of life for all citizens of Armenia.