5 Million Dram Account Balance, 2 Apartments: What Has Deputy Minister Araksia Svajyan Declared

According to the daily newspaper "Zhoghovurd", Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia, Araksia Svajyan, was appointed on January 3, 2023. Svajyan has held a political position since the 2018 revolution. Prior to 2018, she served as the scientific secretary of the Pedagogy specialized council at the Armenian State Pedagogical University named after Khachatur Abovian, has been involved in various programs as an expert, and later became the director of the Republican Pedagogical-Psychological Center before her appointment as deputy minister.

Months after her appointment, reports circulated in the press about the new deputy minister hiring her close associates. Six months after Svajyan's appointment, on June 23, Tamara Sargsyan was appointed as the head of the General Education Department at the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, who, according to media reports, is a close acquaintance of the deputy minister. The latter was also appointed to her deputy position through her connection with Zhanna Andreasian.

Deputy Minister Svajyan has declared 2 apartments in multi-apartment buildings, acquired in 2020 and 2016, both located in Yerevan. In 2022, Deputy Minister Svajyan purchased a Mazda vehicle manufactured in 2014.

The balances in Araksia Svajyan's bank accounts total nearly 5 million dram, and her reported income for the year amounts to 16 million 525 thousand dram. Of the reported income, 14 million 450 thousand dram comes from salary paid by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia, while the remaining part of nearly 2 million dram is income received from other civil contracts with the Khachatur Abovian Armenian State Pedagogical University, the "I.E.S.A.Y. Consulting Group", and the Republican Pedagogical-Psychological Center.