Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 29, 2007 Monday

ARMENIA DOES NOT PLAN TO FORM A FULLY PROFESSIONAL ARMY IN THE NEAR
FUTURE

Serzh Sarkisyan, Defense Minister and Security Council Secretary of
Armenia, states that in the near future the country does not have the
resources and does not plan to form a fully professional army.
According to Sarkisyan, the armed forces will continue to be manned
with conscripts. Along with this, one-third of the national army is
already manned with contract servicemen. According to Sarkisyan, the
quantity of conscripts will decrease in the country in two or three
years due to changes in the population. The Defense Minister
concluded, "We have foreseen this development of events and a
decrease in the quantity of conscripts will not be critical for
Armenia because we are already increasing the quantity of servicemen
for contract service."

Source: Krasnaya Zvezda, January 26, 2007, p. EV