7th SHIFT OF ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPERS TO LEAVE FOR KOSOVO

Noyan Tapan
May 23 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. Solemn seeing off ceremony of Armenian
peacekeepers leaving for Kosovo on a peacekeeping mission took place on
May 23 in Yerevan’s capital regiment. During the ceremony RA Defence
Minister Mikayel Haroutiunian gave medals, diplomas and letters of
thanks to more than 50 servicemen of the peacekeeping battalion. It
is planned that the next shift will return to Yerevan on May 24 and
a new division will leave for Kosovo the same day for implementing
peacekeeping mission.

As M. Haroutiunian mentioned, Armenian peacekeepers being in Kosovo
and Iraq received high estimations from the local commander staff. "We
are very glad that the boys keep the honor of our armed forces at
the high level, fulfil the tasks, which are set before them," the
Defence Minister said. "We are not inferior to another states by a
single step and there are some states, which we exceed maybe by a
half-step," he added.

M. Haroutiunian attached importance to the experience of the
peacekeeping battalion, as it is planned to form a peacekeeping
brigade on its basis.

Answering journalists’ questions, the Defence Minister said that
Armenian peacekeepers will still continue their mission in Kosovo and
Iraq. As regards sending Armenian division to Afghanistan, no issue
of the kind is on the agenda at the moment.

M. Haroutiunian also said that making of prosthetic appliance for
senior lieutenant Georgy Nalbandian injured in November in Kosovo
was completed in 2006 in U.S. and soon he will return to Armenia. The
Minister said that several posts will be offered to him for continuing
his service in the armed forces.

In response to the question about the new head of General Headquarters
of Armed Forces, the Minister said: "Lieutenant-General Seyran Ohanian
is not a newcomer in the army, he is a well-prepared general and I
am sure that very soon he will be a good head of general headquarters."