Azerbaijan is shocked by the high level of “Shant 2015” Military Command and Staff Exercises held in the Republic of Armenia in current tense conditions along the borders between Azerbaijan and the 2 Armenian Republics, Armenpress News Agency reports.
Azerbaijani pro-government media referred with unconcealed envy to the readiness of Armenian authorities, power structures and the active involvement of the population in it. Pro-government Azerbaijani haqqin.az and virtual.az news agencies wrote that despite the confidential nature of the exercises, it did not create panic among the population even during mass evacuation of the population in some bordering areas. The latter was one of the components of the exercises. Azerbaijani media also cited the clarification of the press secretary of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Artsrun Hovhannisyan – that the exercises are aimed at testing the coordination of all official state structures to raise the readiness level of state structures and the population during possible military operations. Azerbaijani media also referred to President Serzh Sargsyan’s convening a session of the National Security Council on September 3 where information was provided on the events occurring in the surroundings of Armenia in recent days.
On September 3 “Shant 2015” Military Command and Staff Exercises started in Armenia. The nationwide event “Shant 2015” Exercises are aimed at raising the level of state’s immediate preparation for defense, military and state bodies mobilization preparedness in repulsing the act of aggression, rechecking the ability of bringing to high degree of readiness and raising the level of harmony in cooperation and actions. Taking into account the military and political situation surrounding Armenia, the scenario of the Exercises includes а fictitious rival and the situation is maximally adapted to reality.