Armenian defence minister, OSCE envoy discuss cooperation
Noyan Tapan news agency
21 Dec 04
Yerevan, 20 December: The head of the OSCE mission in Yerevan,
Vladimir Pryakhin, told Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan
on 20 December about the successful completion of the first stage of
work under the agreement signed on 11 June [2004] between the OSCE’s
Yerevan office and the Armenian Defence Ministry (on monitoring the
situation in the army and on effective cooperation between the OSCE
and the Armenian Defence Ministry).
“We are satisfied with the results of the first stage and the
assistance provided by the Armenian Defence Ministry’s appropriate
bodies,” Pryakhin said.
The sides also touched on the issue of adopting the law “On alternative
ministry service” and the call-up of the first group (20 conscripts
will have alternative labour service and one will have alternative
military service). [as published]
The Armenian Defence Ministry’s press secretary told Noyan Tapan news
agency that Pryakhin had also submitted the results of an opinion
poll on the military service conducted in an army unit jointly with
the public organization Mother of Soldier. He said that work done
yielded had produced the desired results and the organization could
now freely talk to servicemen, elucidate their problems and bring
them to the notice of the Armenian defence minister.
In turn, Sarkisyan said that not only this organization, but also
about nine public organizations which are cooperating with the
Defence Ministry and specific problems might be resolved thanks to
their active mediation effort.
[Passage omitted: cultural organizations also cooperating with the
ministry]
Touching on the Karabakh problem, ambassador Pryakhin said that he
still cannot find any significant textbooks on the history of Nagornyy
Karabakh in the recent period and would love to find one. The defence
minister said that such books are necessary for the military and
patriotic upbringing of the younger generation and Armenian writers
have an obligation in that sense.
[Passage omitted: sides discussing development programme in Armenia’s
Syunik District and hope for more cooperation]