Establishment of Territorial Defense Forces in Armenia: Law Passed in First Reading

The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia has adopted in the first reading a legislative package to amend the Law on Defense, which includes the establishment of territorial defense forces and the definition of the term.

According to Armenpress, Deputy Minister of Defense Gabriel Balayan presented this legislative package during an extraordinary session of the National Assembly held on October 27.

“The concept of territorial defense is legally defined as the participation of citizens on a voluntary basis in the armed defense of the Republic of Armenia in the case of an armed attack, immediate danger, or under conditions of military operations. The territorial defense forces will operate on a territorial basis and will be conditionally composed of military units, brigades, and battalions according to the administrative division of the Republic of Armenia,” Balayan stated.

He added that a contract will be signed with each territorial defense member, who will be assigned weapons, military uniforms, and appointed to a corresponding position.

The filling of conditional brigades and battalions with territorial defense members (also referred to as the recruitment of territorial defense) will be carried out on a territorial basis by the conscription and mobilization units of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, from citizens registered in the reserve and not assigned to wartime positions, as well as by local self-government bodies from citizens registered in the respective community (in Yerevan, according to administrative districts),” Balayan noted.

The draft law passed unanimously in the first reading with 71 votes in favor.