Pashinyan on the Possibility of Changing the Military Service Term Reduction Decision

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, addressed the possibility of extending the military service term reduction decision to soldiers conscripted before January 2026. He discussed the issue in the Gegharkunik region, specifically in the village of Geghamasar, while responding to a question from a soldier's parent.

In response to a citizen's inquiry regarding whether it would be possible to reduce the service term for those conscripted before January 2026 to 1.5 years instead of the current two years, Pashinyan stated, "This question has no solution. We can't do it; there is a service plan in place. It would mean breaking the functionality of the army, let those guys serve in peace and come back. They are serving calmly and normally in peacetime, do not create tension around this topic," he said.

He noted that he had discussed the issue with the Minister of Defense and concluded that such a decision could not be made. The Prime Minister added that the reduction of the military service term had been a campaign promise of the Civil Contract party in 2021.

"Why did we decide to reduce the term from January 1, 2026? Because we had as many contract soldiers through the 'Defender of the Fatherland' program at that time that we could do this. Do not create tension, let those guys serve in peace. Do you understand? They are people on duty, and you are putting them under stress. The soldiers are aware that such discussions are happening; you are putting the nerves of thousands of soldiers at stake, and this can have consequences, I promise you—I will call the minister again if there is any option to resolve this," Pashinyan concluded.

It is noteworthy that in Armenia, the mandatory military service term has been reduced to 1.5 years instead of two years, effective January 1, 2026. This decision applies to soldiers conscripted after this date, while those conscripted before January 2026 will serve for two years. Recently, a group of parents of soldiers has been holding protest actions in front of the Ministry of Defense, demanding that this decision also be applied to those conscripted prior to January 2026.