The Military Reform Process Has Begun and Will Gain Momentum Every Month: Prime Minister

The expenditures for the defense sector in Armenia's state budget for next year are set at 509 billion drams. This marks a 113 percent increase compared to 2018, announced Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during his speech in the National Assembly regarding the discussion of the draft state budget for 2023.

"We plan to have a tax revenue part of the 2023 budget amounting to 2 trillion 204 billion drams, which is 946 billion drams more than the 2018 indicators, or a 75.1 percent increase. After 4.5 years, having gone through war and a coronavirus epidemic, we are proposing a budget that is 75 percent larger than the 2018 budget. Moreover, the expenditures for the defense sector are set at 509 billion drams, which is an increase of 113 percent compared to 2018, meaning more than a doubling, and a 47 percent increase compared to 2022," said Pashinyan.

The Prime Minister also reminded that starting in 2022, there will be a voluntary testing program that will at least double the salaries of servicemen, with some cases even seeing salaries multiply by six. "By this, we are transitioning to a professional army and implementing that transition," stated the Prime Minister.

He also discussed reforms in the military education sector. Young people who choose military professions and are appointed upon graduation from military educational institutions will receive housing at that moment. "We have serious issues to resolve concerning improving our security needs. I must ask that we publish as little information as possible that could assist in the disclosure of state secrets. We can emphasize that the military reform process has begun and will gain new momentum every month," said Pashinyan.