Peace without strong state is called surrender – Samvel Karapetyan

Philanthropist and businessman Samvel Karapetyan, chosen as the candidate for Prime Minister of Armenia from the “Strong Armenia” party, made a statement.

“Dear compatriots, colleagues, and supporters,
On July 4, 2025, when less than a month had passed since my detention, I addressed you and spoke about my initiative, which today is becoming a reality. That day we decided together that by uniting, becoming one fist, we would enter the political struggle for the sake of a better future for our homeland. By arresting me and keeping me in detention, the ‘small group’ thought they would silence and isolate not only me, but also the voice of Armenia, the voice of our people, the voice of our citizens—your voices. But once again, they were wrong and failed.

Now our voice is louder. Now, together with you, we are stronger than ever. Today we reaffirm that Armenia’s political landscape has fundamentally changed, and the ‘small group’ no longer has the strength to restore its weakened positions.

The people are dissatisfied with the authorities. The majority of society is deeply disappointed, because the government has failed in everything—foreign policy, domestic policy, and social affairs. The state of the economy can be described in one sentence: we are poor and trapped in debt. Those who have brought every kind of disaster, misfortune, and weakness upon our country now only make promises and speak of one thing—weak peace.

Peace without a strong state is called surrender. They mislead the public by claiming that having a strong army is equivalent to war. This is yet another lie meant to frighten the people. We want peace, we want strong and dignified peace. No country in the world can negotiate real peace by begging for it. We will strengthen our army and defense by introducing new technologies, developing and implementing a modern defense program, because strong peace requires a strong and modern army,” Karapetyan said.