Armenian Parliament Speaker and MPs Visited Artsakh as Work Delegation, Received Daily Allowance and Accommodation Funds

A number of Armenian Parliament deputies have visited Artsakh as part of an official assignment. This information comes from directives issued by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ararat Mirzoyan, published on the National Assembly's website.

According to the first directive, Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan and deputies from the 'My Step' faction, including Hrachya Hakobyan, Sisak Gabrielyan, Shirak Torosyan, Sergey Atomyan, Aren Mkrtchyan, Rustam Bakoyan, Vagharsak Hakobyan, Gayane Abrahamyan (who has since resigned), Lusine Badalyan, as well as advisor Vahan Kostanyan and Edgar Barseghyan, head of the media production department in the public relations and communication division of the National Assembly staff, were part of this delegation.

The chief of staff and general secretary of the National Assembly, T. Galstyan, has been instructed to cover representative expenses related to the trip from the Armenian government’s 2020 budget allocation for the National Assembly, based on the requirements of the speaker's decree dated May 1, 2018, on the organization of official trips for deputies and staff and reimbursement of expenses.

In another directive, dated October 3-5, Speaker Mirzoyan, along with the leader of the 'Enlightened Armenia' faction Edmon Marukyan, deputies from 'My Step' Andranik Kocharyan and Hakob Simidyan, Arman Abovyan from the 'Prosperous Armenia' party, Deputy Chief of Staff Samvel Meliksetyan, advisor Vahan Kostanyan, and Edgar Barseghyan also traveled to Artsakh.

The directive refers to the May 1, 2018 decree, which stipulates that deputies should be provided funds for meals—daily allowances, accommodation expenses, travel costs, etc. However, according to the referenced decree, the daily allowance in Artsakh is set at 2000 drams, while accommodation expenses range from 5000 to 25000 drams.