The Georgian Defense Ministry appealed the Parliament to increase the term of service for military conscripts from the current one year to 18 months.
In October, 2004 the Georgian Parliament approved amendments to the law on Compulsory Military Service, envisaging a reduction of the 18-month military service to 12 months. In 1999 the compulsory military service was reduced from 24 to 18 months.
The Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Security has already discussed the Defense Ministry?s proposal and approved it for further consideration by the Parliament.
?The increase of the term of military service has only one goal – to better train the army. With the available resources, it is more real to train conscripts for a year and a half,? Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Security Nika Rurua told Civil Georgia.
But last year, when the service term was reduced from 18 to 12 months, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Security MP Givi Targamadze said that one-year term ?is sufficient time to learn basic military skills.?
He said this new initiative over this increase of the term of military service will be in force until 2008. ?Afterwards, we intend to switch to a contract system, which operates in many NATO members states,? Nika Rurua added.