Armenian defence chief vows to purge "risky" personnel from army

Armenia’s Ministry of Defence is taking steps to remove “risky” personnel from the country’s armed forces, Defence Minister Suren Papikyan has said.

Speaking at a parliamentary defence and security committee session, Papikyan addressed questions about the departure of several experienced officers in recent years, Caliber.Az reports.

He suggested that the nature of their experience should be examined, implying that not all experience is beneficial to the service.

“We are dealing with a system whose challenges are well known. It is necessary to remove risky individuals, and that process is currently underway,” Papikyan said.

On the issue of pay, Papikyan explained the difference between military and police salaries. While police officers received general pay increases, military pay adjustments are based on rank and position.

Raising salaries for lower-ranked contract soldiers would require proportional increases across all ranks, he noted, adding that the government is committed to addressing the issue.

By Aghakazim Guliyev