Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan on Tuesday defended the Armenian government’s decision to send army medics and sappers to Syria and said Yerevan could also consider deploying combat troops there.
“Armenia’s humanitarian mission is carried out in accordance with the letter of the law,” Tonoyan said after talks with his visiting Cypriot counterpart Savvas Angelides.
“In addition, I can also say that … if it’s necessary to participate in hostilities as well, the Republic of Armenia will also do that in accordance with the letter of the law,” he told a joint news conference.
The Armenian Defense Ministry sent 83 medics, demining experts and other military personnel to the Syrian city of Aleppo on Friday. It said they will help civilians and clear landmines left behind from the continuing bloody conflict in the Arab state.
The ministry attributed the deployment to “the severe humanitarian situation” in Aleppo, “written requests from the Syrian side,” and the existence of an Armenian community in Syria.
The dispatch of the Armenian military personnel was announced as Tonoyan held talks in Moscow with Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu. The latter thanked Yerevan for its “humanitarian assistance” to Syria.
Armenian opposition politicians have criticized the deployment. Some of them say that the government should have consulted with the Armenian parliament, while others question the legality of the mission.