“Do You Want Me to Say Something Stupid?”: Vahan Kerobyan

Today, after the cabinet meeting, the Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan told reporters that the increase in jobs is due to the recovery of the economy. He stated, “In the last 2-3 months, we have seen a sharp recovery of the economy, and if we compare our current year with 2019, which was the best economic year for Armenia, then January, February, and March are performing better than in 2019.” He noted that according to his calculations, March will show a 7-7.5 percent growth compared to March of the previous year.

Addressing inflation, which Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke about during the cabinet meeting, the minister said, “I did not hear the Prime Minister express worry; he said there is inflation, but that doesn’t mean he has difficulty buying bread. However, we look at this issue from the perspective of the common citizen and share the pain that people feel while shopping.”

Vahan Kerobyan mentioned that food prices have also risen globally. “In March, inflation in our neighboring Turkey was 16 percent, while here it was approximately 5.6 percent; however, that does not mean we are satisfied,” he said.

He also pointed out that the closure of the Lars highway has contributed to inflation. “We are currently working to create alternatives, so that Lars never closes again,” he stated, adding that he was not referring to Azerbaijan but rather developing other alternatives, although he did not elaborate on that.

When asked how he tries to empathize with citizens, for example, when former Minister Tigran Khachatryan advised using lentil substitutes, what advice he would give to those struggling with rising prices, the current Minister of Economy responded, “Do you want me to say something stupid?”

When questioned whether it was foolishness to advise using substitutes, he replied, “I do not know what he said.” Vahan Kerobyan mentioned that there is not only inflation but also an increase in people's incomes. “For instance, compared to 2019, the average salary has increased by more than 10 percent, but inflation has not been that high,” he added.