Armenia to allocate over $1.7 billion for defence in 2025

The Armenian government plans to spend more than $1.7 billion on defence in 2025, according to a statement made by Finance Minister Vahagn Hovhannisyan during the parliamentary budget discussions.

Hovhannisyan revealed that the defence sector expenditures will amount to 664.7 billion drams (over $1.7 billion), marking a 20% increase from the spending in 2024, Caliber.Az reports per Armenian media.

Consequently, the defence budget will account for 6% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“This is the most significant item in our budget, where all our resources are concentrated,” he stated, emphasising the importance of defence funding in the face of regional challenges.

Meanwhile, a significant portion of the military budget is designated for the acquisition of military equipment and weapons, transport vehicles, communication systems, barracks outfitting, and food supplies.

The published document does not specify the amount allocated for “potential purchases of weapons and ammunition.”

However, there are several budget lines where expenditure amounts are clearly defined:

· Education in foreign universities and professional development — 1,072.4 million drams [about $2.8 million],

· Provision of rehabilitation services and specialized medical care, organization of epidemic measures, repair and maintenance of equipment in military hospitals and medical centers — 1,405.8 million drams [about $3.7 million],

· Research and mapping of territories requiring demining, clarification of the estimated scope of work, and planning of activities to be conducted — 321.1 million drams [about $834,000],

· Expenses for maintaining military attachés in foreign countries and Armenia’s military representatives in international organizations — 941.6 million drams [about $2.4 million].

By Aghakazim Guliyev