Mandatory Military Service Proposed to Be Reduced to 1.5 Years

The Government of Armenia has posted a draft law on the official e-draft platform for discussing legal acts, proposing that from the summer draft of 2026, mandatory military service be shortened to a total of 1.5 years instead of the current 2 years.

The draft specifically states: “Article 1. In point 1 of part 4 of Article 5 of the Law on Military Service and the Status of Servicemen, dated November 15, 2017, replace the words '24 months' with '18 months'. Article 2. Final provisions 1. This law shall enter into force on July 1, 2026. 2. The provisions of Article 1 of this law do not apply to servicemen who are serving in mandatory military service as of July 1, 2026.”

As a justification for this contentious amendment, the draft law states that it is being implemented as a reform envisioned within the Armed Forces of Armenia.