Tunyans Comments on News of Becoming Minister of Economy

Member of the National Assembly from the "Civil Contract" faction Babken Tunyan commented on the discussions regarding his possible appointment as Minister of Economy. He made the remarks during a briefing at the National Assembly.

“There has been such a discussion, but I have expressed that our responsibilities in the National Assembly are not less,” Tunyan noted.

Earlier, the "Civil Contract" party had held a board meeting where they discussed and approved another faction member, Gevorg Papoyan's candidacy for the position of Minister of Economy.

It is noteworthy that about a week ago, Vahan Kerobyan resigned from the ministerial position, and during this period, several names have been circulating for the appointment of the new minister, including National Assembly members Gevorg Papoyan, Babken Tunyan, and Artak Kamalyan, a member of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

Kamalyan informed Sputnik Armenia that he excludes the possibility of his appointment to the ministerial position.

When asked why the selection fell on Papoyan, Tunyan emphasized that his colleague is a professional expert who knows his work. “Gevorg Papoyan is dedicated to the values of his political team. I believe he will be quite capable of fulfilling that role. He had responsibilities in the National Assembly, but he will also have responsibilities in the executive,” Tunyan stated.

Journalists inquired whether the incident with Vahan Kerobyan was the reason Tunyan declined to take up the position. The ruling party member emphasized that he is not afraid of either performing work or taking responsibility for mistakes. “What happened with Vahan Kerobyan could happen to anyone. Do not forget, there is a presumption of innocence, and the court still has to issue a ruling regarding Vahan Kerobyan,” Tunyan said.

It is important to recall that a corruption scandal involving the officials of the Ministry of Economy started on January 31. Currently, Kerobyan is accused of abusing his official powers with selfish intent, through prior agreement in a group. He denies the charges against him. The former Minister of Economy is now under house arrest.