Age Limit for Contract Soldiers May Increase

During a session of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense and Security, the proposed amendment to the "Law on Military Service and Status of Soldiers" authored by the "Enlightened Armenia" faction was discussed, which suggests raising the age limit for contract soldiers. The proposal was presented by faction leader Edmond Marukyan, who stated that there is a need to fill the army with more contract soldiers immediately after the war.

According to him, residents of the communities of Kapan and Goris have proposed changing the relevant provision of the law, which currently prohibits individuals from continuing their contract service after the age of 45. Marukyan indicated that the proposal is to raise the limit to 63 years old, allowing physically fit individuals with military experience to continue serving in the army, rather than being forced to seek other employment and migrate abroad when they cannot find work.

Marukyan also added that if there is a desire to keep generals in the army at a higher age limit, the same should apply to regular or subordinate soldiers. Christine Poghosyan, a member of the My Step faction, welcomed the proposal but noted that in her opinion, setting the age limit at 63 is too high. Marukyan responded that contracts signed after the age of 63 cannot be continued if the individual's physical fitness does not meet military service requirements, and in that case, they could be discharged, for instance, at age 57, thus they cannot serve until 63.

The accompanying reporter of the proposal, Armen Khachatryan, supported the initiative but emphasized that there are specific health parameters during military service, of which age is a mandatory characteristic, and regardless of health data, there will be physiological limitations at a certain age. However, Khachatryan noted that the issue of raising the age limit is justified.

Deputy Minister of Defense Arman Sargsyan welcomed the initiative but raised certain objections. According to him, the age limit is not only a regulation of the Armenian Armed Forces; it is accepted by all military forces of countries and is necessary for ensuring principles of military service organization, such as individual physical and health conformity to the military service position and functions deriving from military service. The Deputy Minister indicated that the ministry plans to review the age limit with a view toward a certain increase.

Sargsyan stated that there is a commission in the Ministry of Defense that has the authority to extend service for up to ten years based on the command's proposal. "We periodically extend the service of such conscientious personnel, and at the moment, it is not categorically stated that this is the age limit for the junior officer corps," said the deputy minister, expressing the opinion that a 45-year-old cannot be a commander of a platoon or company. The Deputy Minister highlighted that they are not opposed to raising the limit but setting 63 years for everyone without categorization of positions or groups is problematic.

The accompanying reporter Armen Khachatryan proposed to vote in favor of including the proposal in the agenda of plenary sessions and discuss it in the second reading. The proposal received a positive conclusion from the committee and was included in the agenda of the plenary sessions.