Armenia Displays New Military Equipment at Republic Day Parade

Armenia held its annual Republic Day military parade in Yerevan on September 21, showcasing newly acquired weaponry and equipment from seven countries. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the event, outlining a revised military doctrine centered on defending Armenia's internationally recognized sovereign territory. He stated the armed forces should operate only within recognized borders, except for internationally authorized peacekeeping missions.

Pashinyan attributed Armenia's expanded access to international arms markets to 2022 agreements in Prague, when Armenia and Azerbaijan mutually recognized each other's territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. The government has invested approximately 170 billion drams since 2022 in military modernization and defense industry development. The parade commemorated the 1918 establishment of the First Republic of Armenia.