Armenia plans to reform army fully by 2015

Ayots Ashkar, Yerevan
13 Apr 05

Excerpt from Lilit Pogosyan’s report by Armenian newspaper Ayots
Ashkar on 13 April headlined “New quality in Armenia-NATO relations”

As is known, Armenia does not have a super-task to join NATO but it
cooperates with NATO no lesser than Georgia and Azerbaijan within the
framework of the Partnership for Peace [PfP] programme. Moreover, a
preliminary package of an Individual Partnership Action Plan [IPAP]
was already drawn up and submitted at a three-day conference at the
Mariott-Armenia hotel yesterday.

After the conference, Deputy Defence Minister Artur Agabekyan answered
journalists’ questions.

[Ayots Ashkar correspondent] What is the main purpose of reforms in
the military training system?

[Artur Agabekyan] The main purpose of the reforms is to create a
security system of the 21st century. We have adopted a strategy of
gradual reforms and by 2015 we expect to have the army reformed in the
main directions to meet the challenges of the time. We think that
drawing up the security strategy is the pivot of the reforms and we
should start doing it today. Let us have public discussions on the
issue in 2006 and in 2007, put forward a defence doctrine that
corresponds this strategy, which will define the further process of
reforms. That is to say, reforms will start in 2007 and end in 2015.

[Correspondent] What problems will the adoption of the defence
doctrine resolve?

[Agabekyan] The defence doctrine should give a clear-cut answer to all
regional challenges. Hence, it should outline the range of problems
that should be resolved in the army. When preparing the document we
should take into account the fact that while the reforms are being
carried out, Karabakh as well as other regional conflicts may be
solved or may not. For this reason, we have adopted the strategy of
gradual reforms and set deadlines.

[Correspondent] Will NATO support the reforms only in the form of
consultations or it will also support them financially?

[Agabekyan] We expect it to provide consultations, not funds or
military and technical cooperation. We see the NATO countries’ support
in the form of personnel training, exchange of experience,
introduction of the command systems adopted in the European system.

[Passage omitted: on Azerbaijan’s chances of joining NATO; quotes
Armenian defence minister’s previous statements]