Armenia appoints new defence minister after Karabakh defeat
Armenia agreed to hand over swathes of disputed territory controlled by Armenian separatists
YEREVAN (AFP) - Armenia on Friday appointed a new defence minister as protests raged after it lost a weeks-long war with traditional foe Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The presidency said in a statement that the new defence minister was Vagharshak Harutunyan, an advisor to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on defence issues, who previously served as defence minister from 1999-2000.
Pashinyan on November 9 announced a Russian-brokered peace accord that ended a brutal six-week war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh that left thousands dead and tens of thousands displaced.
Armenia agreed to hand over swathes of disputed territory controlled by Armenian separatists since a post-Soviet war in the 1990s.
The accord sparked fury in Armenia, where thousands of protesters took to the streets and stormed government buildings in the capital Yerevan, calling Pashinyan a "traitor" and demanding his resignation.
Pashinyan on Monday dismissed his foreign minister but ruled out his own resignation.
David Tonoyan, who was replaced as defence minister on Friday, said in a statement that he hoped the move will help ease tensions.
"The current situation demands that tensions be de-escalated. I d like my resignation to be viewed precisely in the context of this logic," his statement said.
Protesters again on Friday blocked several central streets in Yerevan and demanded Pashinyan s resignation.
Armenian President Armen Sarkisian on Friday also replaced the country s labour and emergency situations ministers.
