YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan on Saturday met with participants of the “Toward 100th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide” Sixth Pan-Armenian Conference of Journalists. Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan also attended the meeting.  

The Defense Minister highly appreciated the Diaspora-Armenian journalists’ contribution to the recognition of the Genocide. “I believe this conference conducts an extremely important activity. Genocide recognition is one of our primary tasks; this is indispensable for all [world] communities so as to prevent such crimes,” Seyran Ohanyan noted, MOD press service informs.     

Speaking about the combat-readiness of Armenia’s Armed Forces, Ohanyan informed that the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force’s joint multinational military exercises entitled “Cooperation 2012” were recently held in Armenia, whereas the strategic command and staff exercises are still in progress.   

“We can carry out the tasks given to us. [But] We certainly have omissions and shortfalls, but, also owing to the media, we are neutralizing those flaws,” the Defense Minister stated. 

In her turn, Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan highly assessed the cooperation with MOD and underscored the army’s role in societal life. 

Subsequently, participants of the Sixth Pan-Armenian Conference of Journalists posed questions to the Minister of Defense. 

At the end of the meeting, Seyran Ohanyan awarded MOD medals and commendations to several journalists and media directors.