The business visit of the delegation headed by the RA Minister of Defence to the Islamic State of Afghanistan from the 24th till 26th of July, 2010

The delegation headed by the RA MoD Seyran Ohanyan was in Afghanistan from the 24th of July, 2010. On the 24th of July the RA MoD visited the RA unit located in Kunduz. He observed the service conditions of the Armenian peacekeepers, visited the Kunduz airfield posts. The Armenian unit is responsible for the security of the airfield. RA AF spiritual leader Vrtanes Bishop Abrahamyan blessed St. Tadevos Apostol chapel built by the Armenian peacekeepers.
In the frames of the visit the RA AF delegation met commander of the ISAF Afghanistan, general David Petreus, the commander of ISAF RC North and the elite of the Rehabilitation group of the region of Kunduz. During the meetings the sides discussed the security environment of Afghanistan and the region, the challenges of transferring the security responsibility to the AF of Afghanistan from the ISAF Afghanistan, the outcomes of Kabul forum and the prospects of further cooperation.

The ISAF Afghanistan command thanked minister Seyran Ohanyan for the excellent service of the Armenian unit and for the investment, that the Armenian peacekeepers have in ensuring security in the locations of military importance in North Afghanistan. Commander of the ISAF Afghanistan RC North Afghanistan, major-general Hanz Werner Friz also briefly introduced the security environment in North Afghanistan, the action strategy, commanders’ structure, achievements and the upcoming challenges. On the 25th of July the RA AF delegation was received by minister of defence of Afghanistan Abdul Raheem Wardak and chief of the AF GS of Afghanistan, lieutenant-general Sher Mahmmud Karim. During the meeting the service of the RA unit in Kunduz was highly esteemed. At the same time, by the request of the RA MoD, the general situation in Afghanistan was introduced particularly, minister Wardak stated that compared to the last year the increase of incidents and accidents also has an objective cause particularly, the number of the ISAF Afghanistan and the security forces of Afghanistan has had a dramatic increase, due to which actions are taken in such places were they were impossible to be taken before. He added that albeit the various issues present, according to the statistics, since 2002 by the efforts of the international society a social-economic growth has been reported. On the 26th of July, on the way back from Afghanistan, in the Termez airport of Uzbekistan Mr. Fshavkat Tursun Normatov. During the meeting the sides discussed the present situation of bilateral and multi-lateral military cooperation and the development opportunities. On the way from Germany to Kunduz the airfield of Termez served as a stopping place for the RA unit, and Seyran Ohanyan thanked Mr. Normatov for their warm attitude towards the Armenian peacekeepers. In the evening of the 26th of July the delegation headed by the RA MoD Seyran Ohanyan returned to Yerevan. RA MoD Department of Information and Public Affairs