Surik Papikyan Dismisses Three Advisors

Defense Minister Surik Papikyan has dismissed his three advisors: Melikset Poghosyan, Razmik Petrosyan, and Kamo Vardanyan.

“Melikset Poghosyan and Razmik Petrosyan have completed their terms as advisors to the Minister of Defense. I have thanked them for their service and awarded them departmental medals,” Papikyan wrote on his Facebook page.

It’s worth noting that Melikset Poghosyan was appointed as the governor of Syunik region in 2020, and following his dismissal from that position, he became Surik Papikyan's advisor. Meanwhile, Kamo Vardanyan held the position of Minister of Defense of the Republic of Artsakh and commander of the Defense Army before becoming Papikyan's advisor, having been appointed to that role on September 11, 2021, effectively becoming the last commander of the army.

The other advisor, Razmik Petrosyan, served as the governor of Aragatsotn province from October 2021 and was appointed as an advisor to the Minister of Defense in February 2022.

Earlier, it was reported that by presidential decree, the head of the Military Police of the Ministry of Defense, Ashot Zakaryan, had been dismissed, and former police chief Aram Hovhannisyan has been appointed to that position.