The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia passed in the first reading the legislative package on making amendments to the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Defense” and related laws, which establishes a territorial defense force and defines that term. The legislative package was presented during the extraordinary session of the National Assembly convened on 27 October by Deputy Minister of Defense Gabriel Balayan.
“The term ‘territorial defense force’ will be legally defined as the participation of citizens on a voluntary basis in the armed defense of the Republic of Armenia in conditions of armed attack on the Republic of Armenia, the presence of an immediate threat thereof, or military operations. The territorial defense force will operate on a territorial principle and according to the administrative-territorial divisions of the Republic of Armenia, and will conditionally consist of military units, their subordinate detachments, and battalions. The overall command of the territorial defense force will be exercised by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, through a territorial defense staff formed within the Main Directorate of Combat Readiness of the Armed Forces,” said Balayan.
Gabriel Balayan added that a contract will be signed with each territorial defense serviceman, a weapon will be assigned to him, a military uniform will be provided, and the territorial defense serviceman will be appointed to a corresponding position.
“The filling of conditional territorial defense detachments and battalions with territorial defense servicemen (hereinafter also referred to as the recruitment of territorial defense servicemen) will be carried out on a territorial principle by the territorial subdivisions of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia responsible for conscription and mobilization, from citizens registered in the reserve and not assigned to wartime posts, as well as by local self-government bodies, from citizens registered in the respective community (in the city of Yerevan, according to administrative districts),” noted Gabriel Balayan.
The draft law was adopted in the first reading unanimously with 71 “for” votes.
