Tonoyan: Armenia, in the spirit of collective responsibility, expands  its involvement in peacekeeping missions and in activities to ensure  stability

ArmInfo.Armenian Defense Minister David Tonoyan expressed his conviction during his speech at the UN peacekeeping conference that this meeting was a good  opportunity to discuss ways in which it would be possible to work  more efficiently towards the implementation of peacekeeping  missions.

The Defense Ministry's press service told ArmInfo that  Tonoyan stressed that Armenia, in a spirit of collective  responsibility, is expanding its involvement in peacekeeping missions  and stability activities, thus directly enhancing international peace  and security, including in UNIFIL missions in Lebanon and the United  Nations Multidisciplinary Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali  (MINUSMA).

 He also recalled the participation of Armenia in peacekeeping  operations under the auspices of NATO in Afghanistan and Kosovo."We  provide consistent assistance in achieving long-term changes in the  territories affected by crises, a vivid manifestation of which is the  sending, at the request of the Syrian authorities and the Armenian  community, of a humanitarian mission to Syria in cooperation with  Russian partners, which includes doctors and sappers. I would like to  also take advantage of the opportunity and underscore the commitment  of Armenia to promote international efforts to establish peace and  stability, as well as the reform agenda of the UN Secretary-General.  We are currently working in the direction of creating a second-level  hospital and engineering units with the demining capabilities of  explosives, in order to assist UN peacekeeping missions when  necessary. 

These applications are properly declared and, after completing the  relevant procedures and inspections, will officially increase our  capacity for the fastest possible deployment, " defense  department.Tonoyan also reported on the permanent development of  educational opportunities and the desire to create an international  peacekeeping training center, which will be available to foreign  countries.He also informed that last month the government of Armenia  adopted a national program to implement UN Security Council  Resolution 1325, which prioritizes the expansion of opportunities for  women on the career ladder and participation in retraining programs,  as well as increasing their participation in peacekeeping activities.  In this regard, he stressed that Armenian women are already  participating in peacekeeping operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan,  and from the summer of 2019 their involvement in the UNIFIL mission  and bringing their participation to 15% is planned.

The head of the Armenian ministry also recalled that in October 2018,  the 17th Francophony summit was held in Yerevan and the final  document of the summit - the Yerevan Declaration, among other issues,  underscores the importance of efforts to develop the peacekeeping  capabilities of the Francophon countries.  "In this regard, I would  like to note with satisfaction that, in cooperation with the Alliance  Francaise, a special program is being conducted in the Republic of  Armenia to study the language for peacekeepers and to facilitate  peacekeeping activities," he concluded.