Georgian PM: new defence code “of national importance”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday hailed the country’s recently adopted defence code as being of “national importance” and said the Defence Ministry would be “fully authorised” to ensue compulsory military conscription starting from 2025. 

In his comments at the weekly Government meeting, the official said the code approved by the Parliament with its third and final reading in late September offered six-, eight- and 12-month training programmes for recruits in accordance with their career decisions. 

He noted the county would have 10,000 trained reservists in “three to four years” after the launch of the programme, with the figure reaching 100,000 in 10 years.

The PM highlighted students would be allowed to apply for military training during their student years and join a four-year programme with intensive training courses taking up only one month of their time annually.

Garibashvili stressed the code also prevented evasion of compulsory service through the use of a “clergyman’s certificate” - an option offered by the Girchi opposition party in 2017 that enabled those due for the service to obtain a religious title from an organisation launched by the party and receive postponement of the service - which he called a “harmful scheme”. 

The new defence code offers religious service exemptions to priests of the Orthodox Church of Georgia only.