509 Billion Dram Allocated for Defense Spending in 2023

The Armenian government's budget for the upcoming year allocates 509 billion dram for defense spending. This marks a 113% increase compared to 2018. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced this during a speech in the National Assembly on the discussion of the 2023 state budget proposal.

"We plan to have tax revenue amounting to 2 trillion 204 billion dram for the 2023 budget, which exceeds the 2018 indicator by 946 billion dram, or 75.1%. After 4.5 years, having gone through a war and the coronavirus pandemic, we are proposing a budget that is 75% higher than the 2018 budget. In particular, defense spending is set at 509 billion dram, which is a 113% increase from 2018, meaning more than double, and a 47% increase from 2022," stated Pashinyan.

The Prime Minister noted that starting in 2022, there will be an initiative to at least double the salaries of military personnel through voluntary certification, with some cases seeing salaries increase sixfold. "With this, we are transitioning to a professional army; this transition is underway," he said.

Pashinyan also addressed reforms in military education. Young individuals who choose a military profession will receive housing when they graduate from military educational institutions.

"We have serious problems to solve concerning our security needs. I must urge that we disclose as little information as possible related to state secrets. It is important to highlight that the process of military reforms has begun and is gaining momentum with each passing month," Pashinyan concluded.