Defense Ministry to propose universal military service in Latvia

RIGA. July 6 (Interfax/BNS) - The Latvian Defense Ministry will propose universal military service, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks said on Tuesday.

The existing system has spent its potential, the BNS news agency quoted Pabriks as saying.

It is planned to gradually implement universal military service over a five-year period. The first stage during which service will be voluntary will begin on January 1, 2023.

Pabriks is expecting about 1,000 persons to be drafted during the first year. There will be two drafts per year: on January 1 and on July 1. The conscripts will be offered a choice between universal military service, service with the Latvian National Guard 20 days per year during five years, a unit commander course, and alternate service.

Military service will last for 11 months. Latvia will be drafting men aged 18 to 27, while women may enroll on a voluntary basis.

There will be a penalty for the young men who reject all four of the service options, but Pabriks has not said what exactly it would be. He said, however, that a person rejecting military service in Finland might be subject to a travel ban.

The Defense Ministry aims at enlarging the wartime composition of the Latvian Armed Forces to 50,000 troops, including 14,000 troops in active units, 16,000 troops in the Latvian National Guard, and 20,000 servicemen in reserve.

The reform proposed by the Latvian Defense Ministry will be discussed, and proposals are welcome, Pabriks said. He said that the reform should not be associated with mandatory military service, considering that Latvia still has a professional army.

Latvia cancelled mandatory military service in 2006.