The Armenian army is and will be the major guarantor of the state's independence, said Artur Aghabekian, the chairman of the RA NA standing committee on defense, national security and internal affairs.

"We should keep in mind that Armenia must have a strong army, which will perform two fundamental missions - containment of aggression and defense of borders," he said.

Mr Aghabekian described Russia's military presence in Armenia as a constituent of Armenia's national security. "The Russian military deter Turkey's aggression and do it well. However, we should remember about our main enemy. Our army is our principal force unless the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is resolved," he said, Novosti Armenia reports.