Alen Simonyan urged Yerevan to abandon illusions about the "Russian umbrella" and not to give grounds for war with its neighbors

Armenia must strengthen its army, but at the same time strive to create conditions under which neighboring states will have no reasons for war.

This was stated by the Secretary of Armenia's Security Council, Alen Simonyan, speaking at the World Armenian Summit in Yerevan.

Responding to a question from one of the participants in the discussion about why Armenia is seeking to normalize relations with Turkey without first achieving a significant strengthening of its military power, Simonyan said that he does not agree with such an approach. The summit participant expressed the opinion that Armenia should first become a strong state, since only in that case will its neighbors treat it as an equal partner.
“I do not agree with you and cannot agree, because we have already been guided by such logic, by such thinking, and it is precisely that which led us to the small Armenia you are talking about,” Simonyan said.
At the same time, the Secretary of the Security Council emphasized the need to strengthen the country's defense capability, but expressed doubt that military deterrence alone is capable of ensuring long-term security. “I believe that we should have no reasons at all to fight each other,” he said.
Simonyan also noted that Armenia should not build its policy exclusively on the assumption that an attack by its neighbors is inevitable.

“If they want to attack, we will not have time to become stronger, we will not have time to do anything at all,” he said, speaking about Turkey.
At the same time, the Secretary of the Security Council called for abandoning the notion that Armenia's security depends exclusively on Russia's military presence.
“This deception that we have been fed for 70 years — that we should supposedly hold on to Russia, because otherwise the Turks will devour us — has nothing to do with reality,” Simonyan said.
He also stated that Armenia needs to participate more actively in regional communication projects, political formats, and economic cooperation.
According to him, the interests of Armenia and neighboring states may in many cases coincide, despite existing disagreements. As an example, he cited the attitude of Armenia and Turkey toward the Palestinian issue, noting the closeness of the two countries' positions, despite Azerbaijan's close relations with Israel.
“We must find points of contact for our two countries, three countries, the countries of the region, and rely on these points of contact. That is precisely the tactic I envision, and I see no other way,” Simonyan said.
He emphasized that a return to the former logic of constant confrontation does not meet Armenia's interests.
Simonyan expressed the opinion that the Soviet leadership's decision to permit the construction of the Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex (to the victims of the so-called “Armenian genocide”) in the 1960s was connected, among other things, with the desire to entrench in the minds of Armenians the notion of the need for Russian protection against a possible repetition of the “genocide.”
“We must not give grounds for war. This is our most important security guarantee,” the Secretary of Armenia's Security Council concluded.

Source: Novosti-Armenia