David Tonoyan

David Edgari Tonoyan (Armenian:Դավիթ Էդգարի Տոնոյան; born December 27, 1967) is an Armenian political figure and the former Defence Minister of Armenia.

David Tonoyan
Դավիթ Տոնոյան
Defence Minister of Armenia
In office
10 May 2018[1] – 20 November 2020
PresidentArmen Sarkissian
Prime MinisterNikol Pashinyan
Preceded byVigen Sargsyan
Succeeded byVagharshak Harutiunyan
Minister of Emergency Situations of Armenia
In office
6 February 2017 – 10 May 2018
PresidentSerzh Sargsyan
Armen Sarkissian
Prime MinisterKaren Karapetyan
Preceded byArmen Yeritsyan
Succeeded byHrachya Rostomyan
Personal details
Born (1967-12-27) December 27, 1967
Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
Political partyIndependent
Children2

Biography

Early life and career

He was born on December 27, 1967, in the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk (Now Oskemen), in the East Kazakhstan Region of the Kazakh SSR, or modern day Kazakhstan. He is the grandson of Hovhannes Hakobov, a veteran of the Red Army who took part in the Second World War.[2] In 1986, he joined the Soviet Armed Forces's Transcaucasian Military District. In 1991, he moved to Yerevan to attend Yerevan State University. Between 1998 and 2007, Tonoyan held various positions at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, serving as the Armenian Representative to NATO for three years. In 2007, Tonoyan returned to Armenia to head the departments on international military cooperation and defense policy in the Ministry of Defense.

From 2010 to 2017, Tonoyan served a First Deputy Minister of Defense of Armenia, serving under Seyran Ohanyan and Vigen Sargsyan. According to a presidential decree signed on February 6, David Tonoyan was appointed to the position of Minister of Emergency Situations.[3]

Defence minister

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan appointed Tonoyan as Defense Minister on May 11, 2018, after Pashinyan took office three days earlier. He was recommended to the post by MP Ararat Mirzoyan, who said that Tonoyan was "absolutely qualified to be Armenian Defense Minister".[4]

As Minister of Defense, Tonoyan saw to continue the reforms started by Vigen Sargsyan, which included numerous programs that are to strengthen Military-Society ties, increase the numbers of the professional NCO corps, expand the local military-industrial complex, among other things. One his primary tasks is to reduce the number of corruption cases and to eliminate the Dedovshchina culture among conscripts that was an heritage from Soviet times.

In late August of 2020, Tonoyan proposed the creation of a national militia in light of the July 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes, in order to prepare the society to threats of military nature.[5] The Ministry of Defense under his leadership introduced a draft law into the National Assembly[6] creating the militia, which would be open to both men and women and people up to the age of 70, as well as would be organized under local governments, potentially sporting up to 100,000 members.[7]

2020 Karabakh War
David Tonoyan on the front line during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war

In March 2019, at the gathering of Armenian community representatives in New York, Tonoyan declared that "I, as the Defense Minister, say that the option of return of ‘territories for peace’ will no longer exist, and I have re-formulated it into ’new territories in the event of a new war’",[8] criticizing Madrid Principles which was envisioning the peaceful return of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control. This statement, later popularized as "new war for new territories" was widely criticized and regarded as one of the provocations that ruled out negotiations[9] and later caused 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war[10][11] which resulted in Azerbaijan taking back control of surrounding territories, Shusha and Hadrut.

After the ceasefire agreement was signed, he denied rumors he sold arms to pro-Turkish terrorists in Syria via a private company, allegations of which appeared in the Armenian media. Related accusations that were also denied was the claim that it turned down an offer to purchase body armor jackets from Russia as well as the claim that Tonoyan was in the Maldives to attend a relative’s birthday party when the war started.[12]

On November 20, 2020 he tendered his resignation.[13] In his farewell address, he apologized to those who lost loved ones during the war.[14]

Personal life

He is currently married and has two children.[15][16] His son Edgar currently serves in the Armenian Army at battle stations in Stepanakert (the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh), serving in the same unit as Ashot Pashinyan (son of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan).[17] In response to certain criticisms of this arrangement, he said "I will try not to allow a special attitude towards him. The children of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense are ordinary conscripts, equal to their colleagues". He is fluent in Russian, English, and French. He is a master of sports in judo.

Education

Awards

References
  1. http://arka.am/en/news/politics/breaking_david_tonoyan_to_be_appointed_as_armenian_defense_minister_pashinyan/
  2. content. "David Tonoyan took part in the joint sitting of the Ministers of Defence". mil.am. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
  3. http://www.armradio.am/en/2017/02/06/david-tonoyan-appointed-minister-of-emergency-situations/
  4. "Opposition MP: David Tonoyan absolutely qualified to be Armenian Defense Minister". news.am.
  5. "Armenia Defense Minister presents goal of proposed creation of nationwide militia". armenpress.am.
  6. "««Տեղական ինքնակառավարման մասին» Հայաuտանի Հանրապետության օրենքում լրացումներ կատարելու մասին» - e-draft.am". www.e-draft.am.
  7. "Armenia to create nationwide civilian militia | Eurasianet". eurasianet.org.
  8. "New Territories In the Event of New War,' Says Defense Minister". asbarez.com. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  9. "After peace negotiations, threats of war break out between Armenia and Azerbaijan". eurasianet.org. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  10. "Without Russian Aid to Armenia, Azerbaijan Has the Upper Hand in Nagorno-Karabakh". foreignpolicy.com. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  11. "What is behind the Nagorno-Karabakh flare-up?". aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  12. "Armenian Defense Ministry Denies Reports that Tonoyan Sold Arms to Turkey". Hetq.am. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  13. Armenia’s Defense Minister steps down Armenpress, 20 November 2020
  14. content. "David Tonoyan's message". mil.am. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  15. "Давид Эдгарович Тоноян - биография и семья". people-archive.ru.
  16. "Official Government Website". Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  17. "Aravot Ru". www.aravot-ru.am.
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