Presidential candidate: Armenian army far stronger than Georgian and Azerbaijani

YEREVAN, January 28. /ARKA/. Armenian army is far stronger than Georgian and Azerbaijani, National-Democratic Union leader and former PM Vazgen Manukyan, who is one of presidential candidates now, said on Monday.

He told journalists that there are unified international criteria for gauging an army’s strength.

“These criteria take into account not only figures, but also psychological atmosphere in the country and the population readiness to defend the homeland”, he said.

Manukyan thinks one country’s army can outdo another country’s army on figures, but lag behind it on moral alert.
“Our army has already proved to be able to beat Azerbaijani troops. I think that our armed forces are stronger than Azerbaijani also now”, he said.

However, the presidential candidate thinks that things can lay ground for concern, if proper moral and psychological atmosphere is not created.

January 28 is the Day of Armenian Army. On that day 1992 Armenian government made a landmark decision on establishing defense ministry and the minister issued his first decree.

The first stage of Armenian army formation came amid escalating tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh between 1988 and 1992.

The necessity of defending Nagorno-Karabakh Republic emerged then. Initially, volunteer groups defended Karabakh, but it was became very soon that the defense needed state approach.

In September 1990, Armenian parliament decided to form a regiment at Defense Ministry.-0-