ArmInfo. The statement by Vardan Avetisyan, Chairman of the All-Armenian Union of Reserve Officers, about general mobilization of Karabakh war veterans does not reflect the official position of the Armenian Defense Ministry, though he is the head of the Defense Ministry's Information and PR Department, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, Spokesman for the Defense Ministry, says on Facebook.
"It is only the position of Vardan Avetisyan and his NGO All-Armenian Union of Reserve Officers. There is nothing to worry about. The statement was most likely made to enhance the veterans' alertness. Armenia's Defense Ministry keeps a close watch on the adversary's actions and responds to any kind of challenges if necessary," Hovhannisyan says.
To note, in his address to the veterans, Vardan Avetisyan called for special alertness on November 11 to 18, when Azerbaijan's armed forces will be conducting large-scale military exercises (the largest in their own history) involving over 60,000 servicemen, 700 missile launchers, 150 battle tanks and other armored vehicles, as well as nearly 50 war planes and helicopters.
Given that Avetisyan is the head of the Defense Ministry's Head of Information and PR Department, his statement has sparked a public outcry.