YEREVAN. – The core of Armenia's external security is the Armenian-Russian military alliance, which is specified by several dozen strategic agreements and mutual obligations. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday stated this at the National Assembly of Armenia while presenting the report on the implementation and results of the government program for 2020.

"In this sense, the joint Armenian-Russian single military grouping and the joint Armenian-Russian air defense system in the Caucasus region of collective security are of practical importance. By the logic of these two systems, an attack on Armenia means an attack on Russia, and the two countries must jointly face external challenges," Pashinyan said.

He underlined that in this context, the large-scale process of reforms of the Armenian Armed Forces has started, which will first include structural and then substantive reforms. "In the strategic perspective, we imagine that we should seriously discuss Armenia’s transition to a professional army, we should be able to considerably change the structure of the term-based military service.

In addition, we are discussing the issue of enriching the capabilities of the Russian 102nd military base in [Gyumri city of] Armenia, as well as there are effective discussions with our Russian partners on establishing an outpost of the 102nd military base in Syunik Province; also, that the Russian border guards take part in the protection of Armenia’s state border in some parts of Syunik Province.

In the strategic perspective, we imagine that the protection of the parts of the border carried out by the Armenian Armed Forces will be assigned to the border guards, whereas the army divisions will deal exclusively with the issues of enhancing combat-preparedness, combat-readiness. The army should be engaged exclusively in the tasks of combat-readiness in its non-combat locations. They should not be engaged in agriculture half the week and the other half—in military work. This is a long process, it is not possible to do it in 1-2 days; this started in 2018," added the Armenian PM.