Who will be required to undergo military training of up to 42 days? Nosatîi explains how the training will take place

The Ministry of Defense is preparing to introduce a new military training system for citizens of the Republic of Moldova, which would provide for training courses lasting no more than 42 days, organized in several stages. Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatîi said that the draft law is in the approval process and that the training will be carried out gradually, depending on the available resources. The official specified that the new provisions do not mean that all men aged 18 to 60 will be called up to the army simultaneously.

During the "Euro Securitate" program on Vocea Basarabiei, Nosatîi explained that the project is to be submitted to the Government, and subsequently to the Parliament, for examination and adoption. The ministry intends to include a separate line in next year's budget for the training of reservists.

"The project is being coordinated by the ministries and once we receive the final approvals, it will be promoted to the Government and subsequently presented to Parliament for approval in two readings. I want to mention from the start that it does not mean that, after approval, all men from the age of 18 to 60 will be called up to the army. And here I want to clarify to exclude misinformation on this subject. We will begin training based on the resources available in this direction. In the budget for next year, we are coming up with a new budget line, which is intended for the training of reservists."

The minister explained that the new mechanism aims to provide military training, including to people who currently benefit from exemptions or facilitations from conscription. Unlike the regular military service, which lasts 12 months, the proposed training would be shorter and organized in such a way as to affect the participants' professional activity or studies as little as possible.

"Currently, there are many citizens who benefit from exemptions or facilities in order not to be drafted. And we do not want to take citizens away from their work. We want to combine the possibility of using free time or the time that will be allocated from the workplace to give that training which, according to the data, will not exceed 42 days in total to complete this course. What does this mean? That we will continue with mandatory military enlistment and the duration is 12 months." 

In the case of students, the training would include both theoretical lessons and practical exercises conducted in the National Army training centers. Nosatîi criticized the current training method within some military departments, considering that it does not always provide participants with the necessary practical skills.

"Those who are pursuing higher education will do this training within military departments. As before, but they will not do it online or theoretically in the classroom, without knowing the basic principles for a military person, as has been done so far, mimicked at the level of initial training, as was done in Soviet times by ninth-grade students. We want to bring a seriousness and a reality that the ministry can assume, so that the citizen no longer has to pay several thousand lei to be exempted from military service, as it is now. It must be an activity of the state to train citizens as defenders of the country.

If we say that the young man goes to college. Yes, we give him the opportunity to learn, and in his free time, after classes, during the summer vacation or after school hours, as they do now at the department, they pass the theory, the theoretical part within the faculties, and later, for a few weeks, they will pass the practical part in the National Army Training Center. The instructors from the National Army will train them exactly as they do now, with the military and the reservists who are on call."

Regarding employees, Nosatîi said that current legislation already allows for the conscription of reservists for periods of up to 45 days, but this possibility has not been fully implemented. The new system would organize training in multiple modules to reduce the impact on jobs.

"Even today, based on our legislation, any citizen who is part of the reserve can be called up for conscription for up to 45 days. Simply, this law was not put into effect and there was no need or there was no serious approach to this. So we are not coming up with something new, which was not there before. We will just start and we do not want to create any kind of impediment for people's activity in their field of work. No. We will come up with solutions and continue this activity, as I mentioned that the 40 days will be divided into several training modules and will not affect the activity of citizens. As is done in all developed countries, including the European Union. And I want to mention here that so much manipulation and speculation on the subject - let's talk about neutrality and the need for defense. Just recently, Austria increased mandatory military service from 6 months to 9 months. All countries are concerned about national security. All countries have measures in place to strengthen their capabilities and prepare society to respond to any challenge, including of a military nature.

Asked how the call-ups of private sector employees will be managed, the minister stated that, in the last five years, the institution has not faced major problems regarding the release of reservists from duty to participate in exercises.

"From the examples I know so far, over the course of five years, we haven't had many problems, including with the private sector, to release reservists for cantonments. I believe it is their obligation to do so, and until now we haven't had any problems that would reach the court to defend someone's rights, except for one case which, by the way, was also more political than, let's say, ordinary in nature."

The reform of reservist training is part of the Ministry of Defense's plans to strengthen the capabilities of the National Army. Nosatîi specified that the institution intends to increase the number of military personnel employed under contract, but also to maintain mandatory military service on time. For the autumn-winter recruitment campaign, the authorities plan to recruit approximately 1.200 military personnel.

For now, the project regarding the new training system has not been approved, and the exact categories of citizens who will be subject to the training obligation are to be established through the legislative framework.