Seyran Ohanyan

Seyran Ohanyan (Armenian: Սեյրան Օհանյան; born 1 July 1962) is the current Defence Minister of Armenia. He has held this position since 14 April 2008.

Biography

Ohanyan was born in the town of Shusha, then a part of the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union. In 1979, he completed high school in the village of Mrgashen, in the region of Nairi in the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Ohanyan attended the Baku Higher Joint Command College and completed his studies there in 1983. He subsequently served with the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, as platoon commander and from March 1987, as company commander. In June 1988 he was transferred to the Transcaucasus Military District's 23rd Motor-Rifle Division based in Kirovabad, Azerbaijan and was appointed motor-rifle company commander of the 366th Motor-Rifle Regiment based in Stepanakert; he became deputy battalion commander in August 1989 and 2nd battalion commander with the same regiment in September 1990.