YEREVAN, JANUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Soldier Gor Darmanyan, who was wounded in 2015 while preventing the Azerbaijani sabotage operation in Artsakh, is currently working at the Armenian Presidential Office. He is the first beneficiary of the Homeland’s Defender initiative which aims at assisting the servicemen who became disabled during the military service by providing them with jobs.

“I have been employed at the presidential administration in June 2018. It was on the proposal of the Armenian President. In line with this I am also studying at the Law faculty of the Yerevan State University. This is a very important initiative. It provides great opportunities to soldiers who put their lives under danger during the military service. I am very happy that this initiative will be continuous, and many like me will pass training and will be employed. This initiative enables the boys who put their health under danger to return to life, feel appreciated and learn something new”, Gor Darmanyan told reporters at the Presidential Palace.

He remembered the 2015 March events, stating that they pushed back the adversary’s sabotage operation.

“Gor and his friends gave such a counter attack, carried out such operations that the adversary was unable to attack for a year”, Chief Military Inspector Movses Hakobyan said in his turn.

President Armen Sarkissian talked about the Homeland’s Defender initiative and stated that they cannot forget all boys, who served in the Army and endangered their lives.

“Yes, we are not forgetting them, they receive pension, but in addition to this, there is one simple issue. They are young people and cannot receive pension for 60 years, we need to bring them back to life. They undoubtedly have some talent, we need to find that, to teach, help and train. Gor comes to work every day, receives salary, and this is very good”, Armen Sarkissian told reporters.

He said he has put the launch of this initiative, but hopes that the businessmen and the public sector will also react to this. As a result, the number of employed military disabled persons will increase.

“Eventually, if a businessman has 100 employees, he can definitely hire one disabled person. I encourage so that this work continues in the country. I will personally meet with major businessmen, will encourage and ask them to do the same. As a result, hundreds of disabled soldiers will have jobs and will return to active life”, the President said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan