KARABAKH HOLDS MILITARY MANOEUVRES – ARMENIAN TV
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
19 Apr 06
[Presenter] The Nagornyy Karabakh defence army has started
large-scale military manoeuvres with the involvement of different
kinds of troops. Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan is also
attending the military manoeuvres. These are the first military
manoeuvres in Nagornyy Karabakh after incidents on the contact line
with Azerbaijan. The Karabakh defence minister, Seyran Oganyan,
told journalists about the main goal of the manoeuvres, the current
situation on the borders and new plans at a news conference yesterday.
[Correspondent] A balance of forces on the contact line between
Nagornyy Karabakh and Azerbaijan has been maintained for 12 years
already without the involvement of a third force. This shows that
the Artsakh [Karabakh] army is able to tackle its tasks, Oganyan
said. He also pointed out that the latest command-and-staff exercise
[on 14 April] had showed that the combat readiness of the Karabakh
army was at a high level.
[Oganyan] Today, it takes mobilized forces of the republic seven
hours to take their position on the front line, which shows that the
Karabakh army is capable of properly fulfilling its tasks.
[Correspondent] Measures taken on the front line are the main guarantee
of peace. Engineering facilities and military hardware ensure security
on the positions. The commander [Oganyan] is not worried about the
enemy’s [Azerbaijan’s] attempts to advance its positions.
[Oganyan] Even if they manage to occupy our trenches, they do not
know what awaits them in the depth of our defence.
[Correspondent] A programme for improving the social status of
servicemen is also aimed at ensuring peaceful service. Military
training and measures to reinforce the defence army are being continued
in Nagornyy Karabakh. The commander considers that the defence army
itself is a better peacekeeping force. Everything will be done to
reinforce the fighting efficiency of the defence army.
[Oganyan] We will do our best to overcome shortcomings in the army.
[Video showed news conference]