«We will count the chicks on December 24, Gegham Manukyan is in for a surprise» – Suren Papikyan

During the recent discussions in the National Assembly, MP Gegham Manukyan stated that the execution of capital expenditures in the defense sector for 2023 has been 55 percent over the past 9 months. This translates to only 124.6 billion AMD spent out of 226 billion AMD, which he characterized as a negative form of savings.

This inquiry was raised today during the Q&A session with the government, prompted by MP Armen Khachatryan from the Civil Contract party. Khachatryan also referenced Manukyan's remarks regarding the uniform procurement competition that has occurred in 2023 and inquired about the progress of changes to the military uniforms.

Responding to these queries, Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan noted that the year is not yet over, and the figures mentioned from the podium are no longer relevant, as changes have occurred. He stated, “We will count the chicks on December 24, and I assure you, a pleasant surprise is awaiting Mr. Manukyan.”

In response to the question about the uniforms, Papikyan mentioned that this year an initiative has been launched to change the clothing; however, he clarified that it will not be merely a color replacement of the uniforms. “This is also a substantive change,” he said.

For more details, watch the video.