The Armenian Ministry of Defense is set to curtail the reservist training period from three months to 25 days. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan announced this on October 13, during the government session adding that instead such regular trainings will become mandatory for all citizens of Armenia liable to military service.
"The core service period is 21 days and the remaining days will be spent on due organizational procedures. Of that period the [called up] citizens will spend 7 days on training and 14 days on active military duty,” Papikyan said. He also added that the reservists will have the opportunity to choose to start their training at a date suitable for them.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, chairing the session, noted that the reserve army is very important for the country, and therefore, it has always to be ready.
"We are substituting the three-month callup with 25-day training because for many people who have jobs such long trainings would involve problems for them. We decided to involve the unemployed in particular, and this has a social meaning to some extent because the called-up reservists would also be paid, they would receive a salary. However, later we came to the conclusion that it is not so effective, and we should hold instead one-month-long trainings," the Prime Minister said, Suren Papikyan also added that the Ministry of Defense is preparing a new program, according to which women can also register and get fire training in special shooting ranges.
To this Pashinyan added that in the future military trainings for women, albeit for shorter periods, may become mandatory.
