Number of Conscripts Has Increased Over the Past Two Years, Army Deaths Have Declined, Says Kocharyan

YEREVAN — “The number of conscripts has increased over the past two years,” said Andranik Kocharyan, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defense and Security, during a parliamentary briefing.

Explaining the reasons behind the increase, Kocharyan said some may attribute it to peace, and perhaps that is part of it, but he also pointed to recently adopted laws that have changed the environment.

“This environment now allows mothers to feel confident that the problems that once existed and continued inside the army are now being addressed,” Kocharyan said.

According to the committee chair, the number of deaths in the army has also declined, although some issues remain, and solutions to those issues are being discussed in closed sessions.

“Every day of peace, beginning with legislation, must be used to implement programs that will raise our level of security,” he said.

Referring to the situation surrounding TRIPP, Kocharyan added that it has also given Armenia an advantage at the moment: “There is no gunfire on our border.”

Addressing the situation in Iran and its possible impact on the implementation of TRIPP, Kocharyan noted that while missiles are flying elsewhere, Armenia’s side of the border remains calm for now, though that could change.

He stressed that Armenia must continue working every day to ensure its Armed Forces achieve their objectives, emphasizing that these solutions ultimately come from the Armenian people, who provide soldiers and give the country the ability to solve the challenges of supporting them.

Kocharyan also noted that any signed document can be violated, which is why Armenia must build a security environment that is difficult to undermine and must remain self-reliant in guaranteeing its own national security.