By Shoghik Galstian
YEREVAN (Azatutyun) — Opposition lawmakers condemned on Friday, September 26, the Armenian government’s plans to cut its defense expenditures by more than 15 percent next year, saying that they represent yet another unilateral concession to Azerbaijan.
The government’s draft 2026 budget unveiled the previous day calls for 563 billion drams ($1.47 billion) in funding for Armenia’s armed forces, down from 665 billion drams allocated for this year. The proposed reduction contrasts with Azerbaijan’s plans to continue boosting spending on defense and national security which is projected to total $5 billion in 2025.
Tigran Abrahamyan, a parliament deputy from the opposition Pativ Unem bloc, described it as a “gift” to Baku and a message to the effect that “Armenia lacks the political will to resist and fight.”
“Azerbaijani troops continue to remain in the sovereign territory of Armenia, a large number of issues in negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have not yet been resolved in any way or are left in limbo without deadlines, and Azerbaijan clearly states that it relies primarily on force and acts from a position of force,” Abrahamyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Artur Khachatryan, a lawmaker representing the opposition Hayastan bloc, went further, saying that with the defense spending cut Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is “executing Azerbaijan’s order.” He cited Azerbaijani officials’ earlier claims that Armenia’s “militarization” is one of the obstacles to peace between the two countries.
