ROBERT KOCHARIAN: STRONG, EFFICIENT ARMY IS NOT A BURDEN FOR ECONOMY, BUT A GUARANTEE OF STABILITY, SUPPLY OF INDEPENDENCE, SOURCE OF RESPECT TO COUNTRY

Noyan Tapan
Jan 28, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. On January 28, on the occasion of
the Day of Army, RA President Robert Kocharian gave state awards
to a group of servicemen of armed forces for their considerable
contribution to ensuring preparedness for action of the troops,
bravery and selflessness shown during their service.

At the end of the awarding ceremony the RA President said that "a
strong, efficient army is not a burden for economy, but a guarantee
of security, a supply of independence, a source of respect to the
country, all of us should understand it."

R. Kocharian also said that the Armenian army is much spoken about
today, even those who have not served even a day in the army,
have no idea about the army, about security problems speak about
it: it is proposed reducing the army, passing to only professional
service. "Dear politicians, restrain your preelection populism, find
other, neutral subjects for language exercises. Country’s security
and people’s security is an absolute value, an absolute goal, which
is not subject to any bargaining and any moods and certainly, we will
not permit anyone to weaken this structure," the RA President said.

Robert Kocharian emphasized that professional servicemen, officers,
non-comissioned officers, term servicemen make more than one third
of the army today, and the professional part will grow in the army,
but Armenia’s security will be endangered without compulsory term
service. "Renouncing it by a country being under a direct military
threat is absurd, is someone makes such a proposal in Israel, he will
become a political clown for everybody," the RA President said.

As the head of state evaluated, the creation of the Armenian army is
one of the achievements of the people, perhaps the most important one,
all parts of people and all strata of society have made their complete
contribution on the difficult way of its creation. "Today Armenia’s
armed forces are a serious factor in our region, they firmly stand in
the positions of controlling peace of our borders and people. We highly
evaluate peace, we strive for peace, but we are ready at any moment
to quickly respond to any danger threatening us," R. Kocharian said.

According to the RA President, the efficiency and the equipment level
of Armenia’s armed forces improves day by day, the social problems of
the servicemen are solved much better, army’s international involvement
increases, its international contacts deepen. "Today army’s budget is
larger than the 1996-97 budget of the Republic of Armenia and imagine
what possibility is given to the state to pay attention to the issues
of our people’s, our country’s security," the RA President said.