Defense Ministry urges Karabakh war veterans to show sense

Armenia’s Defense Ministry is against the hunger strikes and sit-in protests used by Karabakh war veterans to voice their problems. The ministry urges veterans to find solution to their problems on the basis of a constructive dialog and good sense, says the statement released by the Defense Ministry’s press service

 According to the statement, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian and top officials of the ministry met with the initiative group and discussed their proposals in detail. The minister said the social and medical problems of families of demobilized servicemen as well as those killed or disabled in the Karabakh war continue to be a center of Armenian president’s attention and a priority of the government’s activities.

On the instructions of Armenian prime minister, an interdepartmental commission will be set up to deal with the issues raised by Karabakh war veterans. For organization and coordination of work to be done by the RA Defense Ministry, Seyran Ohanian conducted a consultation today with the participation of First Deputy Minister of Defense David Tonoyan, Deputy Defense Minister Ara Nazarian, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Levon Mnatsakanian, and heads of interested departments.

“A working group headed by David Tonoyan has been set up. Attaching importance to coordinated solution of the problems of Karabakh war veterans, the minister instructed the working group jointly with volunteers to make their lists more accurate, ensure active participation of the Defense Ministry in development of legislative initiatives, and find efficient ways of solving social problems.

Yet an analysis of the demands made by Karabakh war veterans shows that the problem has not only a social implication, buy also a moral and psychological one,” the statement reads.

Armenian Defense Ministry anticipates that while working with former volunteers, veterans and servicemen of the armed forces, their relatives, and family members of killed servicemen, everyone will show attention and compassion, not forgetting their contribution to the establishment of Armenia.