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As part of ‘Shant-2015’ strategic military command and staff exercises held in Armenia on September 3-6, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan conducted today a mock emergency session of the Armenian government, during which ministers presented the process of carrying out the instructions stemming from the drills’ scenario, made reports about the problems arising in particular situations, and made proposals for their solution and use of more efficient means of control, according to the presidential press service.

The president underlined the importance of the exercises, noting that they deal with two important tasks – training and checking tasks, and their final aim is to be ready – in case of real actions – to use the most efficient measures to remove the threat to territorial integrity and security of the country.

S. Sargsyan stressed the necessity to sum up the results and prepare relevant documents following the drills, based on which the work of the participating departments and their heads will be assessed, and measures will be developed to eliminate the shortcomings, and this will become a stage of preparing for the next exercises.

The cabinet members received new instructions based on the results of the delivered reports.

As was reported, during a briefing held on September 2 by Armenian Defense Ministry’s Defense Policy Department, Yerevan-based military attaches of foreign states and representatives of international organizations were provided with information about ‘Shant-2015’ military command and staff exercises due in Armenia on September 3-6. Officials of Armenian Defense Ministry said that Shant-2015 are planned military exercises of all-republican significance and aim to check the mobilization readiness of state and military command bodies in the process of the state’s immediate preparations for defense and repulsion of an aggression, the ability to bring forces into a higher level of readiness, and to raise the level of interaction and coordination of actions. Those present were told that given the military-political situation around Armenia and in adjacent territories, the enemy and the situation in the drills’ fictional scenario were maximally brought into line with reality.

On the evening of September 3, Armenian President, Chairman of Armenia’s National Security Council Serzh Sargsyan convened a mock emergency sitting of the National Security Council to provide information about the situation developing around Armenia in recent days according to the scenario of the exercises, the presidential press service reported. Reports stemming from the imaginary situation were made at the sitting, and proposals were put forward. The responsible officials of state agencies received instructions relevant to the scenario. The president underlined the importance of the drills in terms of taking prompt and efficient actions in particular situations and inspecting the state bodies’ capabilities and preparedness for such situations.