Pashinyan Upset: "He's a Grown Man, He Should Work, My Son is in the Army Too"

At the conclusion of the investment conference "My Step for Shirak Region," Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was approached by a woman requesting help for herself and her five children. According to her, her eldest son returned from the army two years ago: "We have been in a terrible situation for two years," said the woman, to which Nikol Pashinyan inquired what her son was doing after his service.

"He’s supposed to go to Russia to work," the woman mentioned. The Prime Minister expressed his discontent about why her son isn't working in Armenia. "There are no jobs with suitable pay," she replied. This response further angered the Prime Minister. "He’s a grown man, he should work, enough of this, my son is also in the army," Pashinyan stated.

The woman responded, "I have five children, you are obligated to help a mother of many children." Pashinyan replied, "We will make a decision, we are changing the benefit system, we will provide assistance until the age of 18, but grown-ups must work. I was 18 once, I worked and supported myself and my family," he emphasized.

In an interview with journalists, the woman detailed that one of her sons just turned 18 and is supposed to go to the army, her daughter has just graduated from an educational institution and needs to work, and two of her children are minors. The son who was discharged from service is also a participant in the April war. She complained that their house needs renovation; for five years she has been voicing her concerns as it is impossible to live under these conditions, with the second floor having collapsed.