President Sahakian meets with Defense Army representatives in Stepanakert on Jan. 21 (Photo: president.nkr.am)

STEPANAKERT—Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic President Bako Sahakian on January 21 took part in the Defense Army’s Military Council meeting of the devoted to summing up the results of 2016 and action plans for 2017.

In his speech, Sahakian touched upon the army-building process, accomplishments and existing issues, and assessed the activities carried out in 2016 as satisfactory.

According to the President, 2016 was a difficult year for the military and went down in history as the year of the Four Day April War. “This war has evidently revealed a number of fundamental developments militarily, politically and psychologically, as well tasks to be carried out and necessary steps to be implemented when facing new challenges,” underlined Sahakian.

Sahakian said that the “April events showed our Defense Army’s high combat readiness, determination of our people and the entire Armenian nation to defend the Motherland’s independence, freedom and dignity, ability to unite in critical moments and the fact that any aggression against Artsakh is perceived by the Armenian people as a patriotic war.”

Instruction was given to Artsakh’s Defense Minister Levon Mnatsakanyan and the Supreme Command Staff of the army for various issues faced within the army.

Head of the General Staff of the Republic of Armenia’s Armed Forces Movses Hakobyan and other officials were present at the meeting.

Movses Hakobyan (left) meets with Artsakh President Sahakian and Defense Minister Levon Mnatskanyan on Saturday, Jan. 21 (Photo: president.nkr.am)

Hakobyan and Sahakian met for a separate meeting on Saturday to discuss army building and cooperation between the two Armenian states. Mnatsakanyan was also present at the meeting.