12:32,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government plans a significant increase in defense spending in 2024, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told lawmakers at a committee hearing on the budget draft.

He stressed that the growing dynamics of the defense spending doesn’t anyhow contradict the peace agenda.

“Defense spending in 2024 will be more than doubled compared to 2018, increasing by 125%. The increasing part of the 2024 budget is 309 billion drams alone, while the entire 2018 budget was 247,9 billion drams,” Pashinyan said.

“The reforms of our army, our military are a priority for us. And I also have to stress that such a dynamics of defense spending doesn’t anyhow contradict our declared peace agenda, because having a combat ready military is the legitimate right and mandatory attribute of any state,” the PM said.

In terms of security, the PM also mentioned the newly created Foreign Intelligence Service.

“It has already been created and is now being developed. I hope, and I am convinced, that it will become an additional and significant factor in terms of ensuring Armenia’s foreign security,” the PM said.