Armenia, like any peace-loving state, will develop and transform its armed forces not to aggression, but to defend itself from aggression. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted this during the debates on the 2022 draft state budget at Monday’s joint meeting of the standing committees of the parliament.

Pashinyan added as follows: "Armenia has no intention to conquer territories. In terms of the development of the security system, it is important not only to modernize the army's defense capabilities, but also to create a favorable external environment around Armenia, to consistently implement the agenda of opening an era of peaceful development for Armenia, Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)], and the region, which we see by overcoming the climate of enmity in our region, resuming the negotiation process—in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs—for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, [and] by unblocking the regional economic and transport infrastructures.

It should be emphasized that unblocking the economic and transport infrastructures of the region can qualitatively change the content and structure of Armenia's economy, become an additional impetus for the development of Armenia’s domestic infrastructures, ensure long-term inclusive economic growth, equal conditions for Armenian citizens to engage in economic activity, [and] considerably increase our country’s appeal for local and foreign investments."