President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on Friday had a meeting with the demobilized servicemen, who stood out for their selflessness and courage. Most of them took part in the military actions, defending the homeland from the adversary’s encroachments.

The meeting with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armenian Armed Forces, which took place in Mountainous Armenia sanatorium of Dilijan, was also attended by Defense Minister of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan.

The President welcomed the meeting participants, expressing gratitude for their good service. He addressed his speech not only to those present but also all the demobilized soldiers. Noting that last year the soldiers’ service coincided with the period, when they were attacked by the adversary and defended their homeland with dignity, the President stressed that after the demobilization they remain the soldiers of their homeland, regardless of the sphere where they will continue their activity.

“Of course, we miss and are proud of all the boys, who bravely fell. We are also proud of all those boys, who survived and will continue their selfless service to the homeland,” the President noted, adding that he asked the Defense Minister to hold the meeting for inquiring about the problems the army faces and which must be solved in the future.

“All people need armies but there are cases when this need becomes a necessity, a vital necessity. A combat-ready army is a vital necessity for us,” he noted.

The demobilized servicemen, for their part, inquired from the President about the prospects of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) conflict settlement, the greatest achievement of the 25-year-old Armenian army, the role of demobilized soldiers in the nation-army concept declared by the Defense Minister, etc.

During the meeting the President received answers to the questions of interest to him, including what changes the demobilized soldiers would like to see in the armed forces, whether the knowledge received before the military actions was enough for their efficient participation in them, etc.

At the end of the meeting, Sargsyam gave a number of relevant instructions to the Defense Ministry.