Pontesian National PressNew Years celebration brings military parade, Deltarian welcome.January, 5057Pontesian Armed Forces parade.Arevatsag Astgh, Bazileum - Foreign Minister Varteres Bogosian welcomed the recent
nod of support from the Deltarian government and welcomed cozier relations with the Deltarian Federation. It has been reported that once the news broke in the Deltarian papers that President Tateos Altunian had a phone call with the Deltarian President and Foreign Ministry; the new Ambassador to the Deltarian Federation from Pontesi, Ardavast Hakobjanian, has reportedly held several meetings with both Deltarian government officials and business officials in order to attract Deltarian investment into the country. President Altunian spoke to reporters following a soccer match in Arevatsag Astgh, the first since the Pontesian Republican Party assumed power in September, 5055. The President stated that he had spoke with Deltarian President Ondřej Kříž and had welcomed the Deltarian President and a delegation from Deltaria to Arevatsag Astgh within the coming months. The President kicked off the New Year with a large military parade in the capital where he was joined by the new Chief of the General Staff and Minister of National Defense, Army General Sograd Garabedian, who lead many dissident officers and soldiers into supporting the PRP regime in the run up to the September, 5055 election.
According to reports from Gath Defense Collective, the new Chief of the General Staff lead a purge of the Armed Forces of Pontesi. In a order dated 17 September 5055 he formally established the Military Police of the Armed Forces of Pontesi and appointed Lieutenant General Torkom Gorgodian as the new Chief of the Military Police. Following the order, the National Assembly ratified a separate code of military conduct and military laws and raids were conducted on the 19 September 5055 which lead to the arrest of over 2,000 officers, soldiers and Ministry of National Defense officials. According the Military Police as of the publishing of this article, of the 2,000 or so arrested, over 1,500 have been convicted of charges ranging from treason, to corruption, to insubordination, to other offenses. In a separate order issued by the General Staff, the Department of Military Education and Training closed several military academies and schools, most of them empty and non-functional according to reports from the department. Education and training operations were centered around the Army General Teotig Assarian Military University, which will serve as the higher education institute for all officers and senior enlisted personnel. The Pontesian Ground Forces, the Pontesian Air and Air Defense Forces and the Pontesian Navy will jointly operate the Pontesi Armed Forces Training Center located outside of the capital of Arevatsag Astgh. The Pontesian Navy, the smallest component of the armed forces are likely to open a dedicated naval academy depending on future budgets.