Conscription and Recruitment Agency to Merge with Defense Forces During War

The legislative package introduced in the GD Parliament proposes amendments to the Defense Code that would integrate the National Agency for Military Conscription and Recruitment into the Defense Forces during wartime.

According to the explanatory note, the Agency has been managing the registration of citizens for military service, the issuance of summonses, and conscription since 2024, taking over these duties from municipality bodies.

“It’s [Agency] structure includes services based on municipalities, and it possesses significant infrastructure that would need to be utilized in the state of wartime,” says the legislative initiative. It further notes that during peacetime, the agency and the defense forces must jointly plan and conduct drills and military training, as well as prepare operational plans, procedures, and relevant legal acts.

The legislative package also entails amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses that set a 1,000 GEL [around 365 USD] fine for failing to appear before a conscription or medical examination commission in order to evade mandatory military service.

Passed in its third reading in September 2023 by the previous 10th convocation of Parliament, the Defense Code overhauled the compulsory military service. Starting from 2025, all conscripts must complete their mandatory term within the Ministry of Defense system. The legislation also raised the deferral fee from 2,000 to 10,000 GEL. In addition, conscripts under the age of 25 are now permitted only a single one-year deferral – previously, they were allowed two deferrals totaling up to 18 months.

Also Read:

• 28/02/2023 – Explainer | Georgia’s New Defense Code

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