Historical experience shows that relying on external security guarantors has consistently ended in disaster for the Armenian people, with the latest example being the events of September 2022, when de jure recorded commitments were not fulfilled. Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made the statement at the Global Armenian Summit, stressing that the only real guarantor of the country’s security and development is the taxpaying citizen.
One of the summit participants asked when the Armenian state would be able, following the example of the United States or Israel, to intervene immediately anywhere in the world and protect the rights of its citizens and Armenians.
Addressing the comparison, the prime minister stressed the vast difference between state budgets:
“It is clear that Armenia cannot be compared with the United States; it cannot even be compared with Israel. And do you know why? Because the budgets of Armenia and the United States are incomparable. By the way, if we want to understand a state, we need to know about its budget.”
According to Pashinyan, the answers to all the questions raised by citizens lie precisely in unpaid taxes and “unissued cash register receipts.”
Speaking about ensuring the country’s security and international guarantees, the head of government recalled historical events:
“Recently, I also said that today people are talking about guarantors, saying that there should be guarantors, guarantors for Armenia, guarantors of peace... I say, what does our historical experience show? Wherever we have had guarantors, it has ended in disaster.
“For example, during the Armenian Genocide, the whole world... The press in the United States sounded the alarm about the horrific events taking place against Armenians, as did the press in Great Britain, France and all the progressive countries of the world, and the international community had obligations toward us. But ultimately, the final straw was September 2022, when commitments, including those recorded de jure, were not fulfilled.”
Holding up the cash register receipt in his hand, the prime minister stressed that the country’s security depends on citizens’ conduct and their state-centered mindset:
“And I say... I show the cash register receipt and say: ‘Look, people, this is the guarantor of the Republic of Armenia’s peace, development and security. In other words, you are the guarantor, and the effectiveness of your guarantee depends on how much you perceive Armenia—the homeland—as a state, and on the rights arising from this, of course, but also on the obligations that follow from it.’”
