ARMENIAN MINISTER ON MAIN GOALS OF DEFENCE REFORMS

Mediamax
May 15 2009
Armenia

Yerevan, 15 May: Armenian Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan presented
the main goals of defence reforms in Yerevan today.

Speaking at the international conference on security issues
in the [South] Caucasus, he noted that defence reforms are of
"all-comprehensive nature and are aimed at solving the following tasks:

– modernization and improvement of fighting efficiency of the Armenian
armed forces with the implementation of flexible, transparent and
efficient systems and modern standards;

– ensuring Armenia’s military security through neutralizing real and
potential military threats;

– securing contribution by the Armenian armed forces to ensuring
international security with the expansion of the opportunities of
interoperability with international security structures;

– control of unfavorable regional developments by means of continuous
reformation of the Armenian armed forces and through preserving
military balance".

Seyran Ohanyan stated that "defence reforms in the countries of the
region should be carried out simultaneously, transparently and in
a balanced way for neither of the sides to gain privilege, based on
its geographic location or the number of resources, using it to harm
the regional stability".

According to the Armenian defence minister, in this context "there is
need for new initiatives, new programmes in the sphere of defence and
security, including ones of military nature, which, given political
support of extra-regional forces, will give an opportunity to
establish stable long-term cooperation irrespective of membership
of the counties in these or those security systems". Seyran Ohanyan
expressed confidence that this will allow forming an atmosphere of
trust in the region.