( ForUm ) - Last conscription to Armed Forces of Ukraine will be in autumn 2009. President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko said that today at the Ministry of Defense Board meeting.
The President has noted that for today there is no alternative of creation of professional army. At the same time he has noted that it is not an end in itself or political set, but call of the times. "We can have modern European professional army," he said, adding that military man is a profession, that must be taught not for 9 or 12 months but for some years with definite retraining during the whole life.
The President also noted that the State must do everything possible for the country to have real professional military men.
"The last conscription will be in autumn 2009. Then we must implement project of "Contract army"," he said. Yushchenko charged Cabinet, Defense Ministry by the end of this year to solve all necessary issues on financing in connection with transformation the army to the contract basis by 2010. Also the program of transformation of all kinds of Armed Forces of Ukraine to contract basis must be prepared until February 1, 2008.