Reserve officer: ”Enthusiasm in the army will decrease if the changes are adopted"

Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan discusses changes in key laws regulating military personnel, military service, labor pensions and conscription. The proposed bill introduces amendments aimed at strengthening the country's defense capability by extending the service life of military personnel.

One notable change is the increase in the minimum service life for retirement from military service from 20 to 25 years.According to the draft, the servicemen of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces will serve until the next age limit in peacetime:

Active military service personnel: 36.5 years

Active-duty military personnel, warrant officers and midshipmen who have completed military service: 48 years

This marks a departure from the current law, where age restrictions are set at 37 and 45 years for active-duty military personnel, and for those who exceed this period, warrant officers and midshipmen, respectively.

In addition to extending the minimum service requirements, the bill proposes to increase the percentage of additional payments from 60 to 65 percent for the specified period of service. The Ministry of Defense claims that these reforms are aimed at more effective use of the potential of military personnel, ensuring a longer service life to increase the country's defense capability.

The Ministry stressed that military personnel who have served for at least 17 years and were discharged before the expiration of 25 years of service will retain the right to a pension based on the previous norms. This provision is aimed at protecting pension rights earned in an earlier period.

A member of the Milli Majlis Committee on Defense, Security and anti-corruption, Elman Mammadov, in an interview with Turan, stressed that a small increase in the service life is designed to increase the social security of military personnel. He said: "The changes are in the nature of social protection. These people are professionals in the armed forces, and their profession is military."

However, military expert Uzeyir Jafarov, in an interview with Radio Azadlig, expressed doubts about the proposed reforms. He argued that the proposed extension of the minimum service life by 5 years is impractical, since it may negatively affect the physical well-being of military personnel. Jafarov noted concerns that extending the service life beyond the medically established 20-year limit could lead to health problems for military personnel and the subsequent financial burden.

Jafarov also criticized previous legislative changes, such as the repeal of the law on pension provision for military personnel, expressing concern that such amendments could reduce enthusiasm for military service and potentially damage the country's defense capability.