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Armenian Center for National and International Studies
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January 27, 2010

ACNIS SALUTES THE ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES ON ARMY DAY

Yerevan–The Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS) issued a statement saluting the Armenian armed forces on `Army
Day,’ marking the 18th anniversary of the founding of the modern
Armenian armed forces.

Although the initial development of the Armenian armed forces began as
early as 1988, driven by the need to ensure the security and defense
of Armenia and Karabagh, the evolution of a modern professional
Armenian military was closely linked to the broader effort of
state-building in the newly independent Republic of Armenia.

Now commemorated as a national holiday, January 28, 2010 marks the
18th anniversary of the founding of the modern Armenian armed forces.
On January 28, 1992, Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosian signed an
official presidential decree ordering the formation of the Armenian
Army. The newly-formed army was headed by the country’s first Defense
Minister, Vazgen Sargsyan, who was instrumental in forming an
organized, capable and professional fighting force.

With the assistance and expertise of many others, including such
prominent veterans as Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan and Norat Ter-Grigorian
among others, the initial formation of the armed forces overcame many
significant challenges before emerging as a well-developed and
disciplined institution.

Over the years, the Armenian armed forces has continued to develop,
after a serious effort to modernize and reform led by several
consecutive Ministers of Defense, including Vazgen Manukian, Serzh
Sarkisian, Vagharshak Harutiunian and Mikayel Harutiunian, followed by
the current Armenian Minister of Defense, Seyran Ohanian.

More recently, the Armenian armed forces has emerged as the dominant
military force in the South Caucasus region. On a unit-by-unit
assessment, Western military experts and other independent analysts
have consistently rated the Armenian armed forces as the most
professional, combat-ready and best prepared military in all of the
former Soviet Union.

Under the leadership of current Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian, the
Armenian military has only deepened defense reform and has emerged as
active participant in international peacekeeping operations, including
deployments to Kosovo, Iraq and, most recently, to Afghanistan. The
Armenian armed forces also follows a policy of `complementarity,’ with
a dual role as an active member of both the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) and NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) program.

Armenian defense reforms have also involved much more than preparing
for war through training and procurement, however. The Armenian
Ministry of Defense has also strived to develop brains as well as
brawn within the armed forces. Most notably in terms of military
education, the Armenian Ministry of Defense has established the Vazgen
Sargsyan Military Academy and the Institute for National Strategic
Studies (INSS), led by Major-General Hayk Kotanjian. Under the
leadership of Defense Minister Ohanian, General Kotanjian has
initiated a serious plan to modernize and broaden military education
in Armenia, and is now engaged in an effort to transform the Institute
into a fully-fledged National Defense University.

At the same time, however, there is a need for continued reform within
the Armenian armed forces. Conditions within the military need to be
further improved and more concrete measures need to be adopted to
prevent the abuse of conscripts and the plague of Soviet-style
`hazing’ (`dedovshchina’). In addition, the military must remain free
from political interference and refrain from any role in the country’s
domestic political crisis, in order to uphold the sanctity and
institutional integrity of the armed forces and to guarantee stable
civil-military relations.

Overall, Armenia now stands as a contributor, and no longer a consumer
of international security. But one of the most significant
achievements of the Armenian armed forces has been its role as an
institutional foundation for stability and security in both the
Republic of Armenia and throughout the broader region as a
whole. Unlike its neighbors, Armenia poses no offensive threat and its
posture remains strictly defensive in nature, rooted in the need to
ensure the security of Armenia and Karabagh. And unlike Azerbaijan,
which has embarked on a dangerous and irresponsible surge in defense
spending that not only threatens the delicate balance of power in the
region, but has also sparked a new `arms race’ in the South Caucasus,
Armenia is committed to upholding stability and security in the
region.

Thus, the Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS) salutes each of the men and women serving in the Armenian
armed forces and applauds the sacrifice and commitment of every
Armenian in uniform. ACNIS also honors the solemn sacrifice of the
many veterans who have sacrificed so much to uphold the security of
Armenia and Karabagh, especially including those fallen heroes who
have willingly made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives to
the cause of the defense of Armenia and Karabagh.

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The Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS) is
a leading independent strategic research center located in Yerevan,
Armenia. As an independent, objective institution committed to
conducting professional policy research and analysis, ACNIS strives to
raise the level of public debate and seeks to broaden public
engagement in the public policy process, as well as fostering greater
and more inclusive public knowledge. Founded in 1994, ACNIS is the
institutional initiative of Raffi K. Hovannisian, Armenia’s first
Minister of Foreign Affairs. Over the past fifteen years, ACNIS has
acquired a prominent reputation as a primary source of professional
independent research and analysis covering a wide range of national
and international policy issues.

For further information on the Center call (37410) 52-87-80 or
27-48-18; fax (37410) 52-48-46; email root@acnis.am or info@acnis.am;
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