Around 300 young men to be called up in first draft of national defense service

RIGA - Around 300 young men will be called up in the first draft of Latvia's national defense service next year, Defense Ministry State Secretary Janis Garisons told members of the Saeima Defense, Interior and Corruption Prevention Committee on Tuesday. 

The Saeima committee on Tuesday decided to urge the parliament to continue work on a national defense service bill and 11 related bills, the adoption of which was not completed by the 13th Saeima. Lawmakers are expected to vote on this proposal at the Saeima plenary session this Thursday. 

Initially, young men will be called on to enlist voluntarily, but a draw will be organized later to select the missing number of conscripts. 

"If the number of volunteers will be sufficient, the draw will not be held," Garisons said. 

The number of conscripts to be called up in the 2023 draft has yet to be specified, but Garisons expects that these will be "no more than 300 in the first draft". Authorities have yet to connect data bases to create the selection and draw system. 

As reported, the government approved the bill on national defense service (conscription) and other draft legislation necessary for recruiting reform on September 20.

The bill stipulates that all male citizens of Latvia 18 to 27 years old will have to serve in the military, while female citizens in the same age group may join the military voluntarily.