Honorable President of the Republic of Armenia,Your Holiness, Mr. Generals, officers and students, dear guests: I am heartily greeting all of you on the occasion of the 15th Anniversary of the greatest MoD officers’ educational establishment - Military Institute after Vazgen Sargsyan, and of the Recurrent Flow of the Graduates from higher military educational institutions. The Military Institute after Vazgen Sargsyan was established in 1994 on the borderline of war and ceasefire, when the Armenian army, based on the voluntary detachments, had already gained gigantic experience in battle activities.

After the official ceremony dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Vazgen Sarkissian Military Academy and commencement ceremony for the graduates 2009 of the military training institutions, President Serzh Sargsyan made a regular working visit to the Ministry of Defense. At the Ministry of Defense the Commander-in-Chief received reports from a number of the high ranking military staff and gave corresponding instructions.

On the 29th of July, 2009 in the administrative complex of the RA MoD the first meeting of the Public Council under the Minister of Defence took place. Greeting those who were present and touching upon the goals and issues of creating the council, Seyran Ohanyan stated that due to the council’s activities the relation between the public and the army will become stronger; the involvement of the public in defence enforcement will be assured, while promoting the cooperation between the MoD, NGOs and RA citizens.

On the 28th of July the RA Minister of Defence Seyran Ohanyan received the newly appointed ambassador of Italy in Armenia Bruno Scapini. Mr. Ohanyan congratulated the diplomat on taking the post and hoped that the Armenian-Italian cooperation will become stronger while the latter officiates.

In the frames of his visit to Armenia the delegation headed by the commander of the US Kansas National Guard, Major-General Tod Bunting today visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial, showing respect towards the millions of innocent Genocide victims.

The Government of Armenia announced about its participation in the international security in 2000, following the principle that in the international sphere our country shouldn’t just be a security consumer, but it should have its stabile input in the process of international security. And in July, 2001, in the UN headquarters, New York, a memorandum about Armenia’s joining the system of peacekeeping activities was signed, and in the same year in our armed forces 12 peacekeeping battalions, which consisted of 3 platoons, were formed. From shift to shift, both in Kosovo and in Iraq, the Armenian peacekeepers developed their knowledge, skills and capabilities, enriched their experience showing their fighting capacities and volitional features, at the same time acquiring a reputation of a reliable partner.

On the 21st of July, 2009 the RA Minister of Defence Seyran Ohanyan received the commander of the Kansas National Guard, Major-General Tod M. Bunting, who was accompanied by the US ambassador in Armenia Marie Yovanovitch.

On the 16th and 17th of July, 2009 the Armenian-American Bilateral Cooperation Planning Conference (BCPC) took place in Yerevan. The delegation included representatives from the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD), Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), US European Command (EUCOM), Marine Forces Europe (MARFOREUR), US Air Force Europe (USAFE), Kansas National Guard.

On the 17th of July, 2009 the delegation, which takes part in the USA-Armenia Security Cooperation Planning Council, visited the RA Ministry of Defence’s Institute for National Strategic Studies after D. Kanayan. In the delegation were the representatives of the Office of the US Secretary of Defense, Defence Security Cooperation Agency, United States European Command, United States Naval Forces Europe, US Air Forces Command in Europe, Kansas Army National Guard.

On the 10th of July, 2009 in the departmental hall of the RA MoD the meeting of the Minister of Defence with the members of “Depi Hayk” (“Towards Armenia”) foundation took place. Greeting the Diaspora youth from different countries of the world Seyran Ohanyan briefly spoke about the history of the creation of the RA armed forces, singling out the reality that our army was formed in wartime, after the declaration of Armenia’s independence. Independence - achieved due to the united will and dedication of Armenians.