Hraparak daily of Armenia writes as follows, in part: Yesterday, the parliament unanimously adopted the draft tabled by [the ruling majority] CC [(Civil Contract) Faction] MPs, which stipulates that ex-servicepersons receiving a pension can reenter contract military service while maintaining the right to receive a pension.

The package of drafts tabled by [MPs] Armen Khachatryan and Andranik Kocharyan on amendments to the Law on Military Service and the Status of Servicemen and on amendments to the Law on State Pension, however, provides such an opportunity [only] to those holding the position of up to lieutenant colonel—in the military units defined by the MoD.

We asked the author of the draft, Armen Khachatryan, why they don't also plan for the return of retired colonels, generals, who will bring order to the [Armenian] army with their experience. "Colonel generals can also return to the [military] service; they will simply fill the positions whose maximum size is the class rank of lieutenant colonel.

We have a task of replenishing officers at the platoon-company-battalion chains; we don't have a problem at the upper chains. But if a [retired] colonel general wants to fill the position of lieutenant colonel, no problem; he will go, he will fill [it], he will keep the general's pension and receive a colonel's salary, plus he will form a seniority."