The Ministry of Defense has proposed amendments to the Law on Military Service and the Status of Servicemen, revising mandatory attestation requirements for contract servicemen.

At a session of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defense and Security, Defense Minister Suren Papikyan stated that soldiers serving under the “Defender of the Homeland” program will be considered attested based on the results of their final examinations at the end of their training phase, Pastinfo reports.

This will apply in cases where the serviceman is appointed to a position that matches their acquired military specialization.

“Graduates of Armenia’s military educational institutions who are assigned to appropriate positions will also be considered certified based on their graduation exams. In both cases, the bonus will be calculated from the date of appointment,” Papikyan said.

He noted that over 4,000 individuals have already joined contract military service, and the level of engagement in such service is on the rise.

The minister also proposed that soldiers who sign a new 2- to 5-year contract after completing their initial 5-year “Defender of the Homeland” contract be eligible for a reward upon completion—1.5 million drams for two years and 5 million drams for five years.