News - Armenia will no longer be at war in any period of time, ruling force lawmaker says

I believe that this is a tactical move on the part of Hayk Sargsyan that under our pressure he will give it up, and the rest of the changes will pass because it is absolutely unacceptable. Hovik Aghazaryan, an MP from the ruling majority Civil Contract Faction of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, stated this during Thursday’s meeting of the NA Standing Committee on Defense and Security, addressing fellow lawmaker Hayk Sargsyan from the same faction. In that meeting, the controversial bill is being debated on, by which Hayk Sargsyan proposes to give Armenian male citizens who have reached the age of 27 but who have not carried out their mandatory military service the opportunity to carry out this military service in various duration and paying the respective sums to the Armenian state budget, or not carrying the military service at all and paying the corresponding amount to the state budget and being freed from criminal liability. "There, the circumstance is being considered that it's okay, let him come, give the 2.5 million drams, he will go to the reserve army, and tomorrow, the next day, there will be a war, he will participate in the war. The Republic of Armenia will no longer be at war in any period of time," declared Hovik Aghazaryan. Aghazaryan added that he based his aforesaid statement on the policy of the Ministry of Defense, the strengthening of Armenia, and geopolitical issues.