The business visit of the delegation headed by the RA Minister of Defence to the Islamic State of Afghanistan from the 24th till 26th of July, 2010

The delegation headed by the RA MoD Seyran Ohanyan was in Afghanistan from the 24th of July, 2010. On the 24th of July the RA MoD visited the RA unit located in Kunduz. He observed the service conditions of the Armenian peacekeepers, visited the Kunduz airfield posts. The Armenian unit is responsible for the security of the airfield. RA AF spiritual leader Vrtanes Bishop Abrahamyan blessed St. Tadevos Apostol chapel built by the Armenian peacekeepers.
In the frames of the visit the RA AF delegation met commander of the ISAF Afghanistan, general David Petreus, the commander of ISAF RC North and the elite of the Rehabilitation group of the region of Kunduz. During the meetings the sides discussed the security environment of Afghanistan and the region, the challenges of transferring the security responsibility to the AF of Afghanistan from the ISAF Afghanistan, the outcomes of Kabul forum and the prospects of further cooperation.

From the July 21st to the 22nd, within the framework of bilateral military cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the Federal Republic of Germany and by the invitation of the Federal Minister of Defense Dr. Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg, the delegation headed by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia was on first ever official visit in Germany.
Minister Ohanyan started his visit with the meeting with the Armenian community in Cologne (21st of July), had official talks in the Bonn headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Defense, together with Dr zu Guttenberg visited General-Hans-Graf-Sponeck-Barracks in Germersheim, where the Armenian peacekeeping contingent was undertaking pre-deployment training for the mission in Afghanistan, had discussions with the members of Bundestag (Federal Parliament) and the Governor of Germersheim Dr Fritz Brechtel.

From the 19th till 20th of July, 2010 the delegation headed by Chief of the RA AF GS, colonel-general Yuri Khachaturov, in the German city of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, participated in the forum of AF GS chiefs from the Eastern European and Caucasian countries.
The event, organized with the initiative of commander of the European command of the USA, admiral James Stavridis, also hosted representatives from Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan.
In his speech colonel-general Khachaturov talked about the defence reforms implemented in the frames of the RA Strategic Defence Review; about matters related to the military cooperation with NATO and the US, as well as about the current threats to peace, security and stability in the region of South Caucasus.

RA MoD Department of Information and Public Affairs

On the 21st of July, 2010 the delegation headed by RA MoD Seyran Ohanyan left for the Federal Republic of Germany on a two-day official visit by the invitation of minister of Federal Defence of the FRG Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.
During the visit the RA MoD will meet the minister of Federal Defence of Germany and the military-political elite. The RA MoD delegation will visit the German training center where the second shift of the RA AF peacekeepers’ unit is being trained before leaving for the peacekeeping mission under the command of the ISAF in Afghanistan. In the frames of the visit Seyran Ohanyan will also meet the Armenian community in Germany.

RA MoD Department of Information and Public Affairs

On the 20th of July, 2010 RA MoD Seyran Ohanyan received the delegation headed by deputy director of Russia’s Federal Service Kostantin Birulin. During the meeting the two sides discussed the prospects of the development of the military-technical cooperation between the RA and the RF.
Secretary of the RA National Security Council Arthur Baghdasaryan, CSTO secretary in chief Nikolai Bordyuzha, deputy CSTO secretary Valery Semerikov, president of the business council adjunct to the CSTO Military-Economic Cooperation Council Alexander Nozdrachev, as well as heads of advanced companies of Russia’s military-industrial complex were present at the meeting.
During the meeting they discussed the opportunities of the development of the military-industrial complex, creation of joint Armenian-Russian military-industrial companies and matters of harmonizing the legal sector concerned with the sphere.

RA MoD Department of Information and Public Affairs

From 17th to 18th of July the delegation headed by RA MoD Seyran Ohanyan was in the Islamic Republic of Iran on an official visit. During the visit Seyran Ohanyan met the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Sayid Djalili and minister of foreign affairs Manuchehr Motthaki. On the 17th of July in the ministry of defence and AF support, after the meeting ceremony Seyran Ohanyan and A. Vahidi had a tête-à-tête conversation.

On the 16th of July, 2010 the RA MoD Seyran Ohanyan received the delegation headed by the assistant of the US deputy minister of defence Dr. S. Wolander. The ambassador of the US to Armenia Mary Yohanovich was also present at the meeting. During the meeting they discussed matters regarding the military cooperation between the MoDs of the RA and the USA and its development. The parties also talked about the development of peacekeeping capabilities, staff education, teaching, and the prospects of broadening the cooperation in other spheres.

RA MoD Department of Information and Public Affairs

On the 14th of July, 2010, in the RA MoD Administrative Complex, Minister of Defence Seyran Ohanyan met the members of “Depi Hayk” fund. Greeting the over 50 Armenian youth from the Diaspora and underlining the importance of the event Seyran Ohanyan briefly touched upon the history of the formation of the RA AF and the phases of its development. He put a special emphasis on the fact that our army was created in wartime.
The RA MoD stated that after 1994 – the May armistice – a new quality army-building process started and over years both the troop management and the armaments were improved and the level of the staff readiness increased. As a result of this today we have an efficient and stabile army, which is the security guarantee for Armenians.

On the 9th of July, 2010 head of the MoD Press Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan E. Sabiroghlu came up with an announcement, where he blamed the RA MoD for disseminating fallacious information. In this regard, once again, we announce – up to now the RA MoD has not received any official request for returning the corpse of the Azerbaijani serviceman M. Ibrahimov, who had trespassed to the territory of the Republic of Nagorno Kharabakh on the 18th of July.
And we advise the press speaker of the MoD of Azerbaijan to once again turn the pages of the history, remember the massacres of Sumgait, Baku, Maragha, the thousands Armenian inhabitants killed in Shahumyan and Getashen, the Azerbaijani killer-officer who axed the sleeping Armenian officer, and never again speak of humanitarian and moral norm.

RA MoD Department of Information and Public Affairs

On the 9th of July in the RA MoD Administrative Complex a conference was held devoted to the current issues of the RA defence reforms and the future plans. During the conference, headed by RA MoD Seyran Ohanyan, they discussed matters related to the defence strategic review process and the reforms in the frames of it. Reports on implementing the RA defence reforms’ 2010-2015 program were presented.