Honorable Mr. President,
Gentlemen generals and officers,Dear guests,Ladies and gentlemen,
Today is a special day for our state and our people – the main guarantee of the RA security, the Armenian Army is becoming 18 years old. An exact age for a newly recruit, when for the first time he wears military uniform, enters a detachment, takes up a gun, then ceremonially takes an oath to entirely serve the motherland. However, our Army, which has risen from the hits of the war, has already passed through all of this from the very day of its birth, it has become forged and brave in difficult military activities, has acquired battle experience and skills, learnt to unbendingly overcome difficulties, struggle and win. And today our 18 year-old Army shows up not as an inexperienced young recruit, but as quite mature – powerful and victorious.

The all-national fair resistance of 1988 consolidated the strength and zeal of our nation; it combined the potential of the Armenians around the world and directed it to the Armenian borders. It was a war – hard and ferocious war – but the price of a victory was too high: the freedom of our motherland was on stake. And everything was aimed at the precious goal – the unbreakable will and spiritual power of our brothers, for the sake of the state readiness for self-sacrifice. These were our jokers in the struggle for the self-determination of Artsakh, which, together with the high fighting readiness of our troops, the peacefulness and unity of our nation, were decisive for the final outcome of the war. It is not surprising that the enemy, constantly having human resources and tangible military equipment, lost all the key battles. Our army had no peaceful time for complete formation and recruitment. The step by step intensifying military activities left their trace on the formation of the army, and we were forced to form the regular detachments and the structure of the military department in as little time as was possible. And all of this was carried out in the fuss of war: the regular detachments were developed parallel to military activities and immediately got involved into the fight. And we won, for the spirit of the Armenian warrior is firm, and his fight is fare. And we owed the newly shaped detachments of the Armenian National Army for our final triumph in the Artsakh war. After the armistice in 1994 began a process for the full development of the Armenian AF and for theoretically enriching the experience gained in the battlefield. And it’s already two decades that our Army fulfills the important issues keeping the Armenian borders and assuring the public security. Army building and AF development matters have always been in the centre of the attention of the government and the public. Today, to everyone’s pride, according to the international experts, our Armed Forces do not yield our neighbor states in the region, and even exceeds their organization, marital spirit and the ability to fulfill tasks brought up. We oppose their quantitative superiority with the high professional readiness, marital spirit and devotion of our militants. In 2009, staying loyal to its title, the Army has honorably fulfilled the main task – the protection of the RA and NKR borders from outer assaults. Important events of developing the battle watch and the security of the population in frontier regions were held. The role of military exercises is enormous in the process of constant high battle readiness and increasing practical knowledge. Parallel to fieldtrips, staff military exercises and trainings last year operative-tactical military exercises were also held, which by their volume were the first ones in the history of the AF. The volume of the national military industry complex increased considerably in the spheres of the AF armament recruitment, complete logistics, manufacturing industries for defence and creating industrial technologies. The logistics base of the army was satiated and actualized. The ever-increasing care of the RA Government for the sake of the military industrial sphere, the development of the military science and technology, creates serious preconditions for this sphere to become more effective and reformed. Special attention has been paid to the educational work, which is aimed to the strengthening of the moral-psychological state and military discipline, and to increasing the ideological, psychological and legal level of education. One might say that the main precondition for increasing the battle readiness is the strengthening of the whole moral-psychological atmosphere of the staff – the existence of mutual respect and trust between commanders and soldiers, the realization of equal responsibility while implementing military tasks. First of all this is what made our army strong during the freedom fight of Artsakh, and the deepening and preserving of this custom ought to become one of our primary duties, a pledge for new successes and triumphs. Some of the most important factors for increasing fighting capabilities are the military cooperation with the Armed Forces of other states, exchange of experience, and the participation in joint military exercises. In 2009 the expansion of military cooperation continues in the frames of Collective Security Treaty Organization and the North-Atlantic Pact, as well as with the member states of these organizations and the other partners of Armenia. Serious bases were laid for expanding the geography of international military cooperation. It’s worth mentioning that we have no right to be just a passive applicant in the question of security and according to our means, we must take part in international security strengthening processes. In addition to this, the deepening of international cooperation makes the security of our country more invulnerable. Last year the core of the work done in the frames of the CSTO was the signing of an agreement about the “CSTO Operative Reaction Collective Forces” on the 14th of June during the sitting of the CSTO council in Moscow, where Armenia was presiding. In the frames of the CSTO the AF motor-infantry company participated in the “Cooperation-2009” military exercise in Kazakhstan and got “good” grades. It makes me happy that the RA MoD 1st infantry peacekeeping brigade also received “good” grades. In the frames of realizing defence policy the international cooperation continues not only with the CSTO, but also with NATO member states in the frames of both bilateral and multilateral relations. It’s worth mentioning that in the meetings of the NATO member states we always get high grades for realizing our duties. In Kosovo, during an international peacekeeping mission our peacekeeping brigade showed serious professional activities, keeping their reputation and title as a stabile and reliable partner high, which they had earned by their former fair services. Soon our militants will take up the responsibilities of participants in the peacekeeping activities in Afghanistan. I am sure they will carry it out with the same sense of responsibility with which they represent the Armenian state and the army. Taking into consideration the complicated regional political developments, the RA is obliged to constantly improve its Armed Forces in order to overcome all the challenges and neutralize the possible dangers. Thus we should always walk parallel to the demands of the time. In this regard the defence reforms throughout the year were very important, which had a goal to create a more flexible and modern defence system in accordance with the actual military demands, which will be able to effectively implement the preservation of the RA military security. In 2009 the MoD and AF GS new structure was successfully put in action, the process of implementing a system for professional sergeants became active, and a phase of deciding and defining military tasks began, and the system of special civil service was implemented in the central apparatus. The strategic planning was put on new bases. Structural reforms continue; the role of contract service increases in the troops. In the frames of the reforms important legislative initiatives were also carried out, due to which a number of spheres were taken under legal regulations. Amendments were made in the laws “About Military Service” and “About Conscription”. Drafts about armament and military equipment exporting and importing regulations in the frames of international security preservation were presented to the National Assembly and to the RA government. The protection of the defence and security of the state is a sacred duty of the entire nation, of every member of the society. And for the general understanding of this the high level of the army-society ties is very important, where also much work has been done: a public council adjoining to the Ministry of Defence was created. Considerable work has been done in the educational system as well and in the direction of the interaction of the military structure. 1450 public school in the republic were attached to AF detachments, and the leading higher educational institutions were attached to MoD corresponding officials. The cooperation with the higher educational institutions is particularly important for using the intellectual potential of the public in the military sphere. The work towards improving the social conditions of the militants and their families is to continue. The apartment-building process has gained a new sweep. Dozens of apartment buildings were put over operation and as a result of which around 400 families of militants received apartments. Apart this, around 400 families of war victims or disabled militants were given gratuitous financial assistance. Although this year, too, we are to follow the slogan “New quality to the RA AF readiness, and solid run to the defence reforms”, still the year of 2010 in the AF is announced a “Year of Knowledge”. This means that the defence reforms in process should anchored to the most important factors for the fighting readiness of the Army – to knowledge. Special attention is to be paid to the personal readiness of militants – to the improvement of professional qualities and physical readiness. I am sure that together we can bring to life all of our programs. We only need to believe in ourselves, believe in future, unite and zealously take up our work. We are a victorious army, supporters of peace. And today the enemy’s frequent warlike announcements do no scare us, but urge us to be watchful and to keep improving, since the best way of preserving peace is to show powerful military strength to the enemy. Honorable Mr. President, Dear guests, 2010 is the 65th anniversary of the triumph over fascism. Already 65 years have past since the fighting generation of our nation overcame this most difficult challenge with honor – with victory. The victory reproved the truth that in times of trouble our nation is able to unite and even with great losses and sacrifices it can achieve a victory. Our nation won – not only passing the joy of victory to the coming generation, but also educating the new generation with the psychology of a winner, which became a worthy heir of its hero fathers and grandfathers – shaping a splendid victory in the war of Artsakh. I congratulate our nation on the 18th anniversary of the National Army.Long live to the heroes, who fell for the freedom of the motherland! Glory to the Armenian militant - the soldier, who at this moment is watchfully standing on the border of our state and presents the nation with peace! Happy Birthday, Armenian Army! We still have much to prove and remain winners. We must keep the precious peace invincible and inspire everyone with the same belief, that he controls the situation. That he is the author of one of the most glorious victories of the last decades and of all times in general. And the same pride should rise in every one of us that together we are a collective force and that our name is ARMENIAN ARMY!