DM Suren Papikyan and Major General Daniel T. Lasica Discuss Armenia-US Defense Cooperation

YEREVAN — Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan on Thursday received a delegation headed by Major General Daniel Lasica, Director for Strategy, Plans and Policy, United States European Command.

According to a statement issued by the Armenian ministry, issues related to cooperation in the field of defense were discussed at the meeting. The ministry provided no further details.

The high-ranking American military official arrived in Yerevan for a two-day visit on November 16.

The U.S. embassy in Armenia said on Wednesday that during his visit Lasica was due to meet with Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, Chief of General Staff of Armenia’s Armed Forces General Edward Asryan and Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Armen Grigoryan “to discuss the U.S.-Armenian security relationship and regional security issues.”

Major General Lasica participated in a dedication ceremony to mark the completion of new barracks, dining facility, and conference room funded by the United States at the Zar Peacekeeping Training Area. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The “Zar” training center is the main training unit of the peacekeeping brigade of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, where peacekeeping forces are trained, hold military exercises, personnel training and peacekeeping mission preparation plans are conducted, training courses for servicemen are organized.

The aim of the center’s activity is to improve the level of combat readiness of the soldiers of the brigade of the peacekeeping forces, units of the Armenian Armed Forces and representatives of the armed forces of partner states, which in turn will allow in the future to strengthen cooperation with international peacekeeping training centers, to join international peacekeeping educational institutions, to prepare instructors in accordance with international standards, plan and carry out more military exercises of larger scales.

The reconstruction works of “Zar” training center were carried out in several stages. From now on, Armenian peacekeepers will have the opportunity to conduct their exercises and prepare for missions in greatly improved conditions that meet modern standards.