ArmInfo.Armenia's Minister of Defense [Suren Papikyan] is not so far informed that the tasks related to combat training and combat readiness of troops were the  priority of the General Staff before "what he has called reforms,"  Tigran Abrahamyan, a member of the opposition parliamentary faction  With Honor, stated in response to the defense minister's statement on  reforms in Armenia's Armed Forces and appointment of the chief of the  General Staff. 

"The minister says reforms will be implemented in the army, and the  armed forces will defend the country and deal with combat readiness,  the work they are supposed to do. And thee government decided to  grant the status of first deputy minister to the chief of the General  Staff," Mr Abrahamyan said. 

The government thinks that by making the chief of the General Staff  subordinate to the minister of defense they will prevent statements  similar to those made by the ex-chief Honik Abrahamyan. 

So it turns out that the ex-chief of the General Staff, who was  subordinate to the premier, made a statement the government  considered undesirable. And, according to the government, that  statement would not have been made if the chief of the General Staff  had been deputy minister of defense. 

"Moreover, the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense have  departments with identical functions. And these are expected to be  reorganized by means of reforms. But it does not require appointing  the chief of the General Staff deputy minister of defense.  Furthermore, it causes more problems than provides solutions.  They  are saying the General Staff is supposed to deal with combat  readiness alone, but they are making it part of the Ministry of  Defense thereby confusing things," Mr Abrahamyan said. 

In an interview with the Public TV of Armenia, Minister of Defense  Suren Papikyan stated after reforms in the country's Ministry of  Defense the first minister of defense will be chief of the General  Staff.