The Armenian Ministry of Defense has submitted a new project for public discussion, which proposes to introduce a new system of contractual military service, as well as short-term compulsory military service of rank-and-file members, on the condition of paying money to the RA state budget.

The RA draft law on amendments and additions to the law “On Military Service and the Status of Servicemen” was published on the e-draft.am website.

The justification states that the adoption of the draft law is conditioned by the 2021-2026 plan of the RA government with the need to increase the interest of entering into contract military service in accordance with the plan, to create prerequisites for the development of professional contract military service, to introduce a new system of transition from compulsory military service to contract military service of rank and file officers and a procedure for short-term compulsory military service.

The 2021-2026 program of the Armenian Government envisages the creation of legislative bases for the reduction of the period of compulsory military service in a gradual and regulated manner, within the framework of which, taking into account the experience of a number of foreign countries, a certain period of compulsory military service of rank-and-file personnel is proposed and, depending on this,  upon completion of the training phase of the serviceman (four and a half months on average), the possibility of early release of the serviceman from compulsory military service on the condition of  paying 24 million AMD to the RA state budget.