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Panorama.am has interviewed Artsakh president’s security advisor Tigran Abrahamyan about the draft law, authored by ruling My Step faction MP Hayk Sargsyan, that would enable citizens to pay 10 million drams in exchange for military service.

Panorama.am: Mr. Abrahamyan, a draft law has been introduced proposing to obtaon a military ID for 10 million drams (roughly $20,000). How would you comment on this measure?

Tigran Abrahamyan: The topic is raw; the existing risks need in-depth expert analysis. Such bills should go through public debates, expert opinions should be taken into account. This bill raises more questions than provides answers to the existing ones.

Panorama.am: What consequences the bill can possibly have if it enters into force?

Tigran Abrahamyan: It is impossible to achieve effective changes in any sphere through superficial approaches. Such changes in the armed forces are very sensitive for the countries in war; it's necessary to discuss in detail all the subtleties of the situation, to measure its impact not only in terms of financial or human resources, but also in terms of ideology. Thus, I don't think that this measure stands any chance of becoming a law in this form.

Panorama.am: Is it possible to master some military skills in a month?

Tigran Abrahamyan: If we had lived in a region where the likelihood of military operations was minimum, it might have been possible for all males to undergo an accelerated one-month course, but only if it was a matter of conveying basic knowledge to people.

In our case the situation is dramatically different. Moreover, we not only have the task of keeping our armed forces in high combat readiness, but also keeping demobilized persons in shape by frequent gatherings of the reserve forces.

After all, if this bill also aims at increasing the number of contract soldiers, I would say that the issue won’t be solved by this measure, moreover, the introduction of effective contract service mechanisms is in a completely different field.