Guided by the tasks set out in the government program, during 2024 the Ministry of Defense continued its activities in the areas of armed forces reforms, defense capabilities, development of military-technical cooperation, coordination of international integration processes, transition to a professional army, military education, resource replenishment, social security and other areas. This was stated by Defense Minister Suren Papikyan at the Standing Committee on Defense and Security Issues.

According to him, despite the information disseminated from time to time by the Azerbaijani side about ceasefire violations, a relatively stable operational situation has generally been maintained throughout the year.

"In order to define the main guidelines for implementing radical systemic reforms in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, the Army Transformation Concept was developed, approved and published in 2024. The action plan arising from the concept has also been developed, and the work on developing a substantive description of the transformation process component not subject to public disclosure, as defined by the concept, is being completed. As a result of diversifying the areas of military-technical cooperation, contracts for the supply of weapons and military equipment have been signed with a number of resident and non-resident companies for the modernization of weapons and military equipment and the acquisition of new models, engineering reinforcement works have continued, and construction and renovation works on permanent deployment sites have been carried out," the minister said.

Papikyan noted that the Eagle Partner military exercise was planned and conducted in the Republic of Armenia jointly with the US Army Europe Command. Partner defense cooperation continued with Greece, the US, France, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan and other countries within the framework of annual bilateral plans.

"The participation of specialists and units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia in international missions in Kosovo and Lebanon was organized, with other states and organizations, to increase the level of interoperability of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia. Units and groups of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia participated in seven military exercises and drills. The process of attestation of servicemen continued, in which about 13,500 servicemen participated."

57% of servicemen who participated in the attestation received a positive assessment. According to the results of the attestation, the total monetary compensation of servicemen increased from 205,000 to 470,000 drams. The amendments made to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Military Service and the Status of a Serviceman enshrine the right to receive a military pension for citizens who receive a long-term military pension and who have expressed a desire to undergo contractual military service in the military units established by the order of the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia and in the case of being assigned to a military position with a rank classification of no higher than lieutenant colonel, ”he emphasized.