CHANGES IN LAW ON CONSCRIPTION
AZG Armenian Daily
04/05/2006
On May 2, Artur Aghabekian, deputy defense minister, presented the
suggested amendments to the Law on Conscription. He informed that
an ad hoc commission set by the decree of the Armenian president
involving lawmakers is drawing up a document on organizing national
security strategy. Armenia receives professional support within
the framework of Armenia-NATO cooperation. The document will enter
National Assembly in late 2006 and afterwards will be presented to
the president for confirmation.
Simultaneously the process of introducing civil life elements into the
army has begun. Defense Ministry is specifying the positions that can
be replaced by civil servants. The Law on Conscription allows that
the Ministry gradually pass to military service on contract basis,
which is a way of creating a professional army. Artur Aghabekian stated
that there are already detachments in the Armenian army that enroll
contract servicemen. The peacekeeping detachment is one of them. The
term for contract service is 3-5 years. The issue of reducing the
term for compulsory army service is not on the agenda today.