Pashinyan says Armenia exported weapons for first time

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Armenia has exported weapons to the international market for the first time, as he outlined a series of government achievements and policy plans during a speech on May 21 in the city of Ararat.

Pashinyan, who is currently on vacation, made the remarks in the context of the election campaign of the Civil Contract party, which he leads, according to Armenian media cited by Caliber.Az.

Among the key points highlighted, the prime minister said Armenia had entered the global arms market for the first time. He also invited citizens to attend a military parade scheduled for May 28 at Republic Square in Yerevan, adding that some of the equipment displayed — including domestically produced military products — would remain in the area surrounding the square after the event.

Pashinyan also addressed the planned nationalisation of the Ararat Cement plant. He said that the process of attracting private investors would be conducted through an international, open, and transparent tender. According to him, the state would retain a stake in the enterprise, similar to its involvement in the Zangazur Copper-Molybdenum Combine.

He described a previous transaction involving the plant as fraudulent and pledged that the government would restore state control.

In addition, the prime minister outlined social support measures, stating that since 2018, approximately $1 billion has been allocated to citizens for housing purchases. This includes support for construction projects in border settlements such as Yerask and Paruyr Sevak in the Ararat region.

Touching on economic indicators, Pashinyan said that 280,000 new jobs have been created and that the average salary has increased by 70%.

“If we take into account inflation over this period, we can say that the purchasing power of Armenian citizens has increased by 50%,” he said.

By Tamilla Hasanova