On May 8th, President of the Republic of Armenia and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan met with a group of former and current conscript servicemen who have stood out for their bravery and dedication, as part of a working visit to the Republic of Artsakh. Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, Vigen Sargsyan, and legendary officers, lieutenant-general Norat Ter-Grigoryan and major-general Arkadi Ter-Tadevosyan also took part in the event.

During the meeting, the President encouraged the participants to speak freely about and present their recommendations concerning defense modernization, and reforms as well as their visions of a stronger nation. Serzh Sargsyan also expressed willingness to answer questions posed by the participants and listen to their opinions concerning the “My Honor” and “I Am” programs presented by the Minister of Defense.

During the meeting, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan presented another wide-ranging program aimed at modernizing defense and introducing reforms. Thanks to the “Ditaket” program, for the first time ever, all demobilized servicemen will participate in a comprehensive social survey, aimed at assessing service conditions, efficiency, experience gained, and the system in general. The results of the survey will be the foundation of meaningful reforms.

“We must be brave in our campaign to modernize and reform the army, in order to render this strategically vital field more transparent and accountable, while simultaneously transforming the area of defense into a platform for innovative reforms in government management systems,” stated the Minister of Defense, adding that in developed countries, areas as important the army cannot be left out of general social progress.

Vigen Sargsyan also emphasized the fact that the program will include questions that have concerning Armenian citizens for year, including service conditions, questions concerning the value of the army to soldiers, and other more tangible matters.

“After all, every Armenian is not only obliged, but must also wish to serve in the army. All steps of this program will be aimed at carrying out this very goal. The army is part of the everyday life of every Armenian family, meaning that we are all beneficiaries of this program,” stated the head of the defense administration.

The Minister of Defense highlighted the fact that the more transparent and accountable the army is, the more well regulated it will be. Well organized structures are always the more powerful. This will be the third major program in the “Nation Army” concept, following the “I Am” and “My Honor” initiatives.

The President welcomed the commencement of the program and gave assignment concerning briefings of its results, aimed at ensuring its effectiveness.