Integrating NK Armenians into Armenia's Security Structures
27.08.2024
The Armed Forces and combat units of Armenia’s National Security Service, including the Armenian border troops, are currently undergoing initial stages of reform.
Today, the army and the NSS special forces are generally considered to have a low level of combat readiness. However, the country possesses sufficient resources, primarily financial, to carry out the necessary reforms to enhance combat effectiveness and reach an acceptable standard.
Effective reform requires not only a well-thought-out development strategy for the army, adequate funding, and the acquisition of modern weaponry but also the right personnel. Those with substantial knowledge and extensive combat experience will drive the reform process forward.
In this regard, the personnel of the Artsakh Defense Army, especially the special forces and other experts from various branches of the land forces, possess invaluable combat experience and relevant skills for performing diverse combat tasks. It is important to note that the combat qualities and knowledge levels of the Artsakh Defense Army's officers and soldiers surpass those of their counterparts in the Armenian military.
Following the forced exodus of Armenians from Artsakh and the dissolution of the Artsakh Defense Army, on September 29, 2023, Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Defense, Arman Sarkisyan, stated: “It would be preferable for the servicemen of the Artsakh Defense Army to join the Armenian Ministry of Defense, as they are our compatriots and their experience could benefit the country’s armed forces.” Sarkisyan also mentioned that the Armenian Ministry of Defense is examining the situation and assured that all those willing to continue serving in the Armenian army will have the opportunity to do so.
The Armenian Ministry of Defense officials promptly indicated that all servicemen could be accepted into the Armenian army without problems. Ideally, preserving some units of the Artsakh Defense Army and integrating them as a cohesive combat unit, even at the level of an enhanced brigade, would have been the best option. However, due to various external and internal political factors, which are often exaggerated without justification, the Armenian authorities have not pursued this option and are unlikely to do so in the near future.
At this stage, it is crucial to evaluate how the integration of servicemen and personnel from other security agencies into Armenia’s security sector has progressed since the Armenians' exodus from Artsakh in September of the previous year and to understand the measures the Armenian government has taken in this direction. It should be noted that the government does not impose significant obstacles to the integration of the Artsakh Defense Army personnel into the Armenian military units. However, there are several issues, some of which are artificially created.
The main and perhaps the only artificial difficulty created by the government in this matter is the mandatory replacement of Armenian passports with code 070, issued to Artsakh residents, with passports having a different code. The rationale behind this mandatory requirement has not been explained, as such a problem did not exist before October 2023. Many individuals comply with the passport replacement procedure without question, but there are those who refuse to change their passports, including for principled reasons. There are also people who view this government decision with suspicion, creating an atmosphere of mutual distrust.
Subjective reasons primarily include personal issues such as low salaries, social and housing problems, insecurity, and the potential challenges of adapting to a new place of service. The psychological impact and loss of motivation among many servicemen, following a series of defeats in recent wars, also play a significant negative role.
Overall, it can be stated that the process of integrating former Artsakh Defense Army personnel into the Armenian armed forces is ongoing, albeit at a very slow pace. It is unlikely that the Armenian government will be able to offer more than what is currently being provided to former officers and contract soldiers of the Artsakh Defense Army.
The integration of NSS Artsakh personnel into the NSS of Armenia is proving to be much more challenging. This summer, a bill was passed allowing the continuation of service in the NSS of Armenia for those displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and who held positions in the NSS of Artsakh as of September 19, 2023. However, the bill, which was unanimously adopted by the Armenian parliament, stipulates that individuals who held positions in the NSS of Artsakh before September 19, 2023, can only be accepted into service when corresponding vacancies arise.
This means there are no plans to create new units within the NSS of Armenia, and NSS Artsakh personnel must wait for vacancies or new positions to become available. The NSS of Artsakh had hundreds of battle-hardened professionals, including snipers and specialists in reconnaissance and sabotage activities. Their swift integration should be a priority over the hiring of personnel from operational services, investigators, and those involved in politically oriented activities.
At this stage, a more realistic option might be the recruitment of Artsakh personnel into the Armenian border troops, as some Armenian officials have indicated a serious shortage of experienced specialists in these units.
A year after the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, the main shortcoming of the Armenian government is its lack of a proactive approach in integrating Artsakh specialists into the country’s security structures. A state with significant security problems must create a comprehensive database of specialized professionals and pursue individualized approaches for their employment. Training new specialists from scratch will require far more time and resources.
Eduard Arakelyan
Analyst, Regional Center for Democracy and Security