On 14 April 2008, the newly elected president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan (former Prime Minister of Armenia), signed two decrees: one appointing Mikael Harutyunyan as Chief Military Inspector, and another appointing him as a Presidential Advisor, with the hope that his skill and experience would prove useful in the continual development of the military. Replacing Mikael Harutyunyan in his Minister of Defence post was Seyran Ohanyan.
