MILITARY LANGUAGE SUCCESSES IN ARMENIA
armradio.am
23.07.2008 11:15
As part of the UK’s continuing cooperation with Armenia in the field of
defense, Britain’s Defense Attaché to Armenia, Lt. Col. Nick Ridout
along with deputy Chief of Main Staff of Armenian Armed Forces Major
General Artashes Paytyan and Col. A Simonyan, Commanding Officer of
Armenia’s Peacekeeping Brigade, presented certificates of proficiency
in English to members of the Armenian Armed Forces at the Peacekeeping
Brigade’s barracks in Yerevan.
The on-going dialogue on defense between the UK and Armenia is
supported by activity ranging from reforms in the areas of doctrine,
finance and personnel, to assisting with language training to enhance
Armenia’s capability on the international front.
Since 2006, the UK has been working with the Armenian Ministry of
Defense to develop a local training system for English language
that operates to NATO requirements. Since 2006, nearly 300 military
personnel have followed courses at training units established at the
Armenian Peacekeeping Brigade, the International Humanitarian Demining
Centre and the Ministry of Defence.
In 2007, officers from Armenia’s Peacekeeping Brigade were the first
to take an advanced level test of Military English in Armenia. Now
in 2008, a second group has taken this examination.
Among the most successful candidates were Captain Ara Mesrobyan, Deputy
Head of the NATO Division o f the Department for International Military
Cooperation and Defence Programmes, and Major Artur Zakhrabekyan,
Chief of Staff of the Armenian Peacekeeping Brigade. Captain Mesrobyan
requires his English in preparation for following a six month
international course in defence studies at the NATO Defence College
in Rome. Major Zakhrabekyan needs English to carry out his duties
at the Peacekeeping Brigade. Members of the brigade regularly carry
out peacekeeping duties as part of an international force in Kosovo
and Iraq, along with colleagues from the International Humanitarian
Demining Centre in Echmiadzin.
"Proficiency in English underpins almost all of what we do on the
defense side" said Britain’s Defense Attaché to Armenia, Lt. Col.
Nick Ridout. "Armenia is an active member of NATO’s Partnership
for Peace and the UK is very pleased to offer its support. The
need for military personnel with strong foreign language skills
can only grow and all officers who pass these exams are to be very
highly commended. Not only are they professional soldiers with high
standards of military skill, but they have also proven themselves to
be excellent linguists, able to operate anywhere internationally."
–Boundary_(ID_n7BiU1G4MSF KLjoUPFArxw)–