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On December 12, the RA NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs organized parliamentary hearings on the theme Military Reserve Combat Readiness System Improvement , where the NA deputies, members of the government, representatives of the NGOs and those responsible for the sphere took part.

Welcoming the participants of the hearings the Committee Chair Koryun Nahapetyan has noted that the military reserve of high readiness is one of the key components of the modern combative armed forces, it has an important role in the military security system and the reforms being expected in the system should be directed to the quick and adequate response of the national security challenges and the further strengthening of the defense capabilities. In this context the Committee Chair highlighted the re-assessment of the military reserve’s needs and resources, the rise of the military reserve readiness level and the creation of the effective new mechanisms for that purpose.

Mr Nahapetyan classified the problems of the military reserve into three main groups: legislative, constructive-institutional and financial. To his conviction, at the legislative and law enforcement level additional mechanisms are necessary for defining and applying new requirements of military reserve readiness, for making more efficient the organization of trainings and training meetings and military exercises. Mr Nahapetyan opined that the April war revealed a number of problems, which were connected with the full integration of the defender-voluntaries of the Motherland to the army, the management and the combat readiness. To his assessment, the solution of those problems also requires distinct legal regulations.

The Committee Chair has noted that there is necessity for working out and adopting new model of military reserve readiness. In his word, we should more effectively organize the implementation of the further training of the citizens released from the compulsory military service, their integration in the military reserve system and the provision of their continuous relation with the army. In this context Mr Nahapetyan emphasized the effective cooperation of the local self-government bodies-military commissariats. It has been noted that we shall have a military reserve system, which is able to provide the military security of the country by quick integration. The Committee Chair considered necessary the improvement of the contractual military reserve system improvement.

“I am sure that the state has sufficient preconditions for having professional military reserve, hence by taking into account the international best experience we can shape flexible and viable military reserve system consonant with our realities,” Mr Nahapetyan underlined.

The Head of the Mobilisation Department of the RA Armed Forces Headquarters Kamo Kochunts presented the factors of the RA Armed Forces’ mobilisation success, the military reserve combat readiness process, the order of being involved and accounted in the military reserve, the organization of the military exercises, the improvement and training military ability process of the military reserve officers, sergeants and private soldiers.

In their speeches and interpellations the NA deputies highlighted the holding of the parliamentary hearings and touched upon a number of issues, which were relating to the frequency of the military reserve assembly organization, the cooperation formats between the law enforcement structures, the upgrading of the military reserve system and steps taken. In the implementation of the effective activities of the system the complex approach was highlighted.

In his speech the Expert of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) Vladimir Kopchak presented the international experience in the sphere of the military reserve, particularly the succeeded experience of Ukraine and the implemented reforms in the sphere.

At the end of the discussions the Committee Chair Koryun Nahapetyan has noted that the upgrading of the system in the sphere of defense will be a key direction of our country’s policy during the coming years, and that policy also requires certain revisions, including also at the legislative level. The deputy opined that in the coming years new legislation of the defense sphere will be completely formed, new and distinct legal regulations will be given in the regulation of certain components of the military reserve system. Mr Nahapetyan assured that such meetings will be continuous, and platforms will be created with the Ministry of Defense to debate the steps taken for the upgrading of the sphere.

Let us note that the second part of the sitting was held in closed-door procedure.