Nikol Pashinyan addressed questions about the possibility of applying the reduced military service term to soldiers conscripted before January 2026.
Speaking during a visit to Geghamasar in the Vardenis community of Gegharkunik Province, the Prime Minister responded to a parent’s question on whether the service period could be shortened from two years to 1.5 years for those already serving.
Pashinyan stated that such a change is not feasible, emphasizing that the army operates under a structured service plan. According to him, altering the terms for current conscripts could disrupt military functionality. He added that the issue had been discussed with the Minister of Defense, and the conclusion was that no such decision could be made at this time.
The Prime Minister also noted that reducing the mandatory service period was a campaign promise of the Civil Contract party in 2021. The change, which took effect on January 1, 2026, was made possible due to an increase in contract-based personnel under the “Defender of the Homeland” program.
Under the current policy, the reduced 1.5-year service applies only to those conscripted after January 1, 2026, while individuals drafted earlier will continue to serve the full two-year term.
In recent days, groups of parents of servicemen have held protests near the Ministry of Defense, requesting that the new policy also apply to those conscripted before the 2026 cutoff date.
