Defense Spending in Armenia Increases Significantly

The Armenian government's defense expenditures have risen from 1.1 billion AMD to 1.45 billion AMD (approximately $3.7 million) in 2024, representing an increase of nearly 31% compared to 2023. This was stated by Minister of High-Tech Industry Mikitar Hayrapetyan during a meeting with journalists.

He noted that the opposition frequently criticizes the underfunding of this budget item. In practice, expenses have significantly exceeded the 100 million AMD declared in parliament, increasing by 350 million AMD (just over $900,000). This growth is partly attributed to several contracts signed with developers toward the end of the year.

“We aim to maximize the expenses to 4.5 billion AMD ($11.6 million), but complex bureaucratic procedures are delaying these mechanisms,” the minister said.

In 2025, the ministry will continue to actively support projects related to the export of defense technologies. Priorities include the establishment of new laboratories in universities, including research in the field of artificial intelligence, the implementation of grant programs for programmers, and organizing training courses for specialists abroad.