S. Ohanyan: "We can fight bravely"
According to data of the International Red Cross Committee last year, there are 4,000-5,000 Armenian and Azeri soldiers missing in the Karabakh war.
During the visit to "Yerablur" on the occasion of the Day of freedom fighters missing in action, RA Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan said the Ministry had not found any missing soldier this year. "We are working on finding out information about some soldiers every year through searches."
The Minister of Defense laid a wreath at the monument dedicated to missing soldiers and lilies at the memorials of Vazgen Sargsyan and Andranik.
Freedom fighters, members of the deceased freedom fighters were also at "Yerablur" Pantheon.
Freedom fighter of HAB detachment Vanik who visits "Yerablur" with some of his friends in combat every year, told "A1+" that he will go to war in case of danger. He also complained that today freedom fighters are not paid attention to and noted that he didn't know how many of his friends would go to war with him due to their disappointment.
Mother of a deceased freedom fighter Greta Khachatryan added that the government gives her subsidiy and pension, but nobody can take care of a family with that money.
President of the Union of Veteran of the Detachments of Special Significance of the Militia Grisha Sargsyan talked about the freedom fighters' problems and noted that he has undertaken the legislative initiative to pass an NA law on freedom fighters.
"We must show government support so they can live with equal rights. We have laws on everything, but we haven't adopted the most important law on freedom fighters who are the ones sacrificing their lives. That is why the widows of many dead freedom fighters go from door-to-door asking for food."
Seyran Ohanyan assured journalists that the Ministry is working rather seriously toward strengthening the army's combativeness and taking serious measures for implementing on-duty combat and improving the work of Armenia's structures on the line of contact. He claims that Armenia's army is combative. "We can expect attacks at any moment, but as previous cases and this [June 19] showed, our soldiers can fight bravely in case of need and even die to maintain our positions.
