Committee endorses legislative initiative by NA deputies Armen Khachatryan and Andranik Kocharyan

At October 30 extraordinary sitting of the RA NA Standing Committee on Defense and Security, the legislative initiative authored by the deputies of the NA Civil Contract Faction Armen Khachatryan and Andranik Kocharyan was debated, in which they propose to make addendum to the laws on Military Service and Serviceman's Status and on State Pensions.

Armen Khachatryan noted that it is proposed to establish the right not to stop the appointed military pension also for the servicemen accepted for contract military service in certain military units carrying out combat tasks of the RA Armed Forces defined by the order of the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia. It is proposed to establish the conditions for the appointment of those positions in such a military unit, in which case the right to receive a military pension for long service is preserved, including the cases of termination of this right. The procedure, conditions and deadlines for applying for recalculation of military pension after discharge from military conscription military service or contract military service or training camp in the military units defined by the order of the RA Defense Minister will be specified.

According to the rapporteur, the adoption of the legislative initiative does not result in the necessity of the additional financial means in the state budget. He also informed that it is not possible to make calculations regarding the amounts of the uninterrupted long service military pension of the servicemen receiving long service military pensions and having done contractual military service in the military units defined by the order of the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, because there is no data on the reservists who wish to enter into contractual military service in the relevant military units. Armen Khachatryan also noted that the presentation of the package of draft laws is not connected with strategic documents.

The package of the draft laws was debated with the representatives of the State-Legal Ministerial Committee and Armenia alliance.

The RA Deputy Minister of Defense Armen Sargsyan noted that the package of bills was also debated in the Ministry of Defense, in the State-Legal Ministerial Committee and was almost approved by everybody.

The co-rapporteur Vahagn Aleksanyan positively assessed the draft laws, noting that overtime there is a need to review, particularly the pension age of the servicemen and athletes.

In his speech the deputy of the NA Faction Gegham Manukyan informed that the Faction will vote for the package of the draft laws, adding that the Faction is for any initiative, which is aimed at the rise of defense in the Republic of Armenia.

The RA Deputy Minister of Defense Armen Sargsyan once again clarified that this amendment refers only to y to military pensioners who are admitted to specific military units defined by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, and who express a desire to continue their service in specific military units. The list of military units will be approved by the Minister of Defense and according to the priorities, those positions whose recruitment will be targeted and prioritized will also be approved.

The legislative initiative was endorsed. The package of the draft laws will be debated at the convening NA extraordinary sitting on October 31.

The Committee also approved the protocol of the parliamentary hearings held on October 15, 2024 in the National Assembly, dedicated to the issues, problems and real results of reforms related to the state, structure, dynamics, accounting, and detection of crime in the Republic of Armenia during 2019-2024.