Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan introduces newly appointed Defence Minister Davit Tonoyan to top officers of Armed Forces

12 May, 2018 16:01
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited on 12 May the Ministry of Defence to introduce the newly appointed Defence Minister Davit Tonoyan to the top officers of the army.

"I realise that there is no special need to introduce David Tonoyan to the staff of the  Defence Ministry as he has served at the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces for years, and I'm sure you all know him very well. I’d like to emphasize that this appointment, in fact, reflects the policies we are going to implement for the development of the Armed Forces. It was important for us to make the process of the change of the cabinet as smooth as possible, and that the Armed Forces stay out of political shocks,” Pashinyan said.

He underscored that the normal development of the Armed Forces and their issues would be absolute priority for the government, because the security of our country and the Republic of Artsakh is at stake. He added that it is necessary to make every effort to raise the security levels of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh.

Pashinyan spoke about the priorities he has formulated for the minister. "The first and most important issue is the continuous increase of the army's combat readiness. Today, Armenia’s international reputation is high and continues to grow, which means that Armenia's positions on the international arena and in the talks are getting stronger. I would also like to emphasize that the army, the Armed Forces

should be a strong support for the Armenian diplomacy and negotiation process. The next issue we are going to address in the near future -- and we have considered that Tonoyan's candidacy is most appropriate in this case -- concerns the de-politicisation of the army. When in Artsakh, I have had an opportunity to extend my special thanks to the representatives of our army and the Armed Forces for their position to engage in the political events during the recent domestic political crisis, something prescribed in the Constitution. This testifies to the fact that our Armed Forces, as an institution, are on high level. This process should be further developed. During the political processes, including elections, the army should not be engaged as a party to the electoral process: our goal is to provide each citizen of Armenia freedom of choice and, in this sense, every serviceman of the Armed Forces, as a citizen, must be free in his choice because that is what is stipulated by the Constitution, the laws, and this is true for everyone, from privates to generals," he said, adding that the Armenian Armed Forces should not be pro-government or pro-opposition, and should not consider themselves as a political factor.

Pashinyan expressed conviction that now this issue is solvable, and that the process should be finalized.

Speaking about the next issue, he said: "We should eliminate the situation when the parents of the conscripts extend material support by providing their children with such things as clothes and items of hygiene. I have already had a conversation with the Chief of General Staff and  stated that we consider that this practice should be considered as done with. In every such case when parents are faced with such a problem, I urge them not to carry out that request but to talk to the media and the prime minister's staff. The Armed Forces

Representatives have assured me that we are able to provide the soldiers with all that is necessary, and this is the state’s obligation."

He also considered it necessary to carry out anti-smoking policies in the country, as well as in the Armed Forces.

Speaking about the educational process in the Armed Forces, Pashinyan said that often young people return from their service to civilian life with a lower educational level then they had before.

"I consider this a serious problem. We all need to be actively involved in understanding the problem and addressing it. Soldiers must return from the army with a higher level of education, meaning that it is critical to organise the education process of soldiers," he said.

Speaking about the accidents in the Armed Forces, Pashinyan underlined: "We should not allow a soldier's death to become another news headline. Any incident, whether it is the result of the enemy's actions or any other reasons should be thoroughly investigated, and conclusions should be made to prevent further incidents. Any such incident should lead to serious conclusions so that we can minimize the number of such incidents. I am not saying it was not the case, but the public should be sure that each of us does his best to protect the life and security of every soldier. This is really a priority and I expect the defence minister to take care of this problem."

Pashinyan thanked former Defence Minister Vigen Sargsyan and the Armed Forces, adding that the Armenian Armed Forces fully enjoy the trust of the Armenian people. "This is very important. At the same time, I am happy to note that there is a government in Armenia that also enjoys people trust, perhaps not as much as the army, but at least we have a positive situation that is unique. We should turn this into tangible results that would seriously change Armenia's security environment, and this positive environment we see in the country would continue," Pashinyan said.

David Tonoyan thanked the prime minister for trusting him this position and added that it is a great honour for him to return his own environment, the Ministry of Defense. He said that the prime minister’s instruction will be reflected in the government’s programme in a shortest possible period.

"I assure you that the Armed Forces’ combat readiness will be on the level allowing favourable conditions for you in the negotiation process to conduct successful negotiations, and if needed, from the positions of force," Tonoyan said.