Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in a statement marking the thirtieth anniversary of the Armenian Armed Forces, said the country will have a professional army.

“During these three decades, the Armenian army has had glorious days and has gone through many trials,” the statement reads.

Pashinyan said his government is implementing systematic reforms designed to reevaluate the performance of the army and will increase funding to improve the social and living conditions of servicemen.

“Military service should be a matter of special public respect, which should be reflected in the system of special social guarantees for servicemen and their families,” Pashinyan writes.

The Armenian prime minster says that the reforms will raise the intellectual, professional, physical and psychological training of those serving in the armed forces.

Pashinyan concludes by thanking the “defenders of the motherland” for their sacrifices and their families for their patience and endurance.