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Panorama.am has talked to military expert Arkady Grigoryan about CSTO Cooperation 2012 exercise and NATO-standard based military drills involving Armenian peacekeepers, held simultaneously in Armenia. Below are some excerpts from the interview.

- What was the significance of these exercises for guaranteeing security in Armenia?

- In both cases, we increased the fighting efficiency of RA Armed Forces and contributed to improving the atmosphere of mutual assistance and trust. The consultants highly assessed the exercises, hailing the military discipline of RA Armed Forces. As Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan noted aptly, unlike our neighbors, we are guarantors of peace, and we strengthen the atmosphere of confidence. In other words, there are countries which create tension, while we ease, balance the tension.

- What was the reason that the Commander of NKR Defense Army attended the exercises, a circumstance that did not slip the attention of Azeri media?

- Many observers from different countries were invited to attend the exercises, and this is common practice. Commander of NKR Defense Army, Movses Hakobyan, was also among those invited. He gave a high assessment to the drills. The NKR Defense Army Commander did not attend other events, and Azeri media reports are absolutely false. It is very difficult to find a common language with a state and society that have inferiority complex and constant fears.