On January 28, 2009 Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan awarded a number of high-ranked officials with honorable medals and diplomas of gratitude of the National Assembly on the occasion of the Army Day.

Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, Members of Parliament, high-ranked officials of the Defense Ministry were present at the ceremony. For active participation in the process of reforms of the Armed Forces, on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of the Armenian Army Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia Yuri Khachaturov, Deputy Defense Minister, Lieutenant-General Alik Mirzabekyan, Deputy Defense Minister Ara Nazarian and Head of the Legal Department of the Defense Ministry, Colonel Sedrak Sedrakyan were awarded honorable medals of the National Assembly. For clear and conscientious implementation of service duties head of the department dealing with the work with the staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Major-General Vardan Avetisyan and Commander of the Armenian Defense Ministry’s peacekeeping forces brigade, Colonel Arthur Simonyan were awarded diplomas of gratitude.