Armenia has increased its defense budget for 2024 by 7 percent as part of preparations for peace, not war, according to the country's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, as reported by TASS.
"This is a preparation not for war but for peace, as the sense of security among citizens is the most important guarantee of peace and stability," he stated.
Pashinyan believes that Armenia's neighbors are convinced that Yerevan has no plans to attack anyone. He also highlighted that over the past decade, Azerbaijan's defense spending has been three times higher than Armenia's and continues to be so.
Earlier, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported discussions with the European Union (EU) about the supply of non-lethal weapons. Additionally, the expansion of the EU's mission on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border was addressed. Yerevan highly appreciated the rapid deployment of the EU's civilian monitoring mission, as noted.
