ROA Won’t Wholly Transfer Army To Contractual Basis In Near Future

ARMENIA IS NOT GOING TO WHOLLY TRANSFER ITS ARMY ON CONTRACTUAL BASIS
IN NEAR FUTURE

Yerevan, January 19. ArmInfo. Armenia is not going to wholly transfer
its Army on a contractual basis in the near future, RA Defense
Minister, Serzh Sargssyan, said at today’s press-conference in the
Caucasian office of IA REGNUM.

Asked if the management of the Armenian Army is going to transfer the
Armed Forces on a contractual, "professional" basis, the Minister said
"it is not harmful to think, however, opportunities are necessary for
that". "I think we shall be able to wholly transfer to a professional
army within the next few years", the DM said. According to him, today,
about the third of the Armenian Army comprises professionals, officers
and "contractors". Along with it, the Minister agreed with the opinion
that the number of draftees will be somehow reduced in a couple of
years since this will the time of a call-up age of the generation of
90th , when the birth rate in the Republic decreased for some known
reasons. "However, it is of not of a decisive importance. Relevant
measures are being taken. Only in 2006, relevant contracts have been
concluded with over thousand of people", S, Sargssyan said.