Armenia planning voluntary military conscription for women, says PM

Armenia is planning to start voluntary military conscription for women, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Saturday.

“In the near future, we are planning to introduce a completely new institute of women’s voluntary temporary military service,” Pashinyan said in a statement as Armenia marked the 31st anniversary of the creation of its armed forces.

The government has undertaken “large-scale reforms in the army,” he said.

An officer high school will be set up soon, which will be a training center that meets the best modern standards and will become “a forge for the formation of a new class of officers,” he said.

The government is also taking measures to “to equip our army with modern weapons and equipment, trying to encourage local producers as much as possible,” Pashinyan added.