Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
17 Nov 04
Armenian defence minister displeased with 2005 military spending
YEREVAN
Armenian Security Council Secretary and Defence Minister Serzh
Sarkisyan said in Yerevan today that the volume of military spending
envisaged by the 2005 draft state budget is not satisfactory.
At the same time, the minister said that the budget hearings are
continuing and expressed the hope that “the government will find a
possibility to increase this sum”, Mediamax reports. According to the
minister, the salaries of officers and ensigns should be increased
first.
Serzh Sarkisyan said that “beginning from 1 January 2005, we want to
increase the salaries of officers by 50,000 drams 96 dollars , that
of contract ensigns – by 30,000 drams 58 dollars , and that of the
other military – by 10,000 drams 19 dollars “.
“We are facing a serious problem regarding the growth of
international prices, these sums must be compensated, and I am sure
that the country’s leadership will allocate enough funds for the
Armenian army in order not to harm our armed forces’ fighting
readiness,” Serzh Sarkisyan said.
The secretary of the Armenian Security Council also denied the
information that the Armenian side does not finance the Russian
border guards stationed on the territory of Armenia.