March 22, 2021 - 17:02 AMT
Armenia: New Chief of Staff says army will remain neutral

The new Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Lieutenant-General Artak Davtyan, has said that the situation created after the country's top military brass demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been resolved, and that "differences have been taken to a legal field."

Davtyan's statement was published by the press secretary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Samvel Asatryan.

"After 44 days of heroic and selfless war, the Armenian Armed Forces have fulfilled and will continue to fulfill tasks aimed at reassessing and strengthening the security system of our country and Artsakh, neutralizing external threats," Davtyan said.

"The situation that emerged after the well-known statement of the leadership of the Armed Forces has been resolved, and the disagreements have been taken to the legal field.

"The Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, which are subordinated to the government, will remain neutral in political matters, guided solely by the exclusive obligation to ensure the defense, security, territorial integrity and inviolability of the borders of the state."

Pashinyan said earlier on Monday that the decision to appoint Artak Davtyan in the post of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces has come into effect by force of law.