On Thursday RA defense minister Serj Sargsyan met with parents of soldiers in Lori region and answered to their questions. To a question whether the working places in the army structure would be cut off or not the minister said, “No. certainly our army is big compared to the population of our country and its shape. However, we should have a big and strong army and can’t cut its capacity down as far as we are not secure fully. The number of conscripts may be less connected with the fact that the number of young men of that age is less now. Nevertheless, it will not affect the strength of the army since we are going to hire contractual soldiers. The army has many working places now; it hires 3.500 women and 10.000 contractual soldiers now”. One of the participants asked the minister how they are going to solve the problem of employment after the young soldiers finish their service in the army. “Now the chemical factory is being reconstructed to operate. I think the biggest problem we should solve is this one. When I was here last time in October I said that I would inform concrete dates when the chemical factory would be operated. After that visit I reported about the problem to the president, which helped him to solve the problem too. We have found a solution; the chemical factory has been given under management to the ministry of energy. We have experienced this method connected with “Nairit” company too…” By the way, Mr. Sargsyan said that the government had paid a part of the salaries of the employees and it was going to cover all its salary debts in the factory by the end of May. The defense minister spoke about the upcoming parliamentary elections too and said that the army was close for parties since it is nonpartisan and can take part in elections under majoritarian system only. Answering to a question how soldiers can learn about the ideologies of political parties and their appearance so that they can make a conscious choice the minister said that they are free to get that information by watching TV. The minister said that they could not organize meetings with soldiers since it would be available for a small part of the troops as most of them are serving at the border.
Answering to the question of the Helsinki commission Vanadzor regional office representative Arthur Sakunts concerning corruption and death cases in the army Mr. Sargsyan said that the number of death cases is less now and all the 33 cases that were registered last year are being investigated by the responsible institutions. The minister did not reject the idea that in some cases commanders may exceed their powers and abuse rights, notwithstanding noted that corruption as a core issue did not exist in the army structure. Concerning drafting the minister said that there is enough civic control over that process since the medical commission members are not army officers, the municipalities can control that process and the regional management boards are responsible for that process as the heads of the regional medical commissions are not army officers, but are the regional management board heads. “I am really curious not to allow sick men be drafted in the army since their service will cause problems first of all for the army and military actions. It is better to pay and hire contractual soldiers than draft sick young men”.