In today’s session with the administration in the National Assembly, Minister Suren Papikyan announced that the previously stated numbers regarding security expenditures are no longer valid. The spokesperson of the “Armenia” bloc, Gegham Manukyan, had announced that 55% of the planned expenditures for the security sector for the first 9 months of 2023 had been implemented. However, Minister Papikyan clarified that only 124.6 billion out of 226 billion AMD has been executed, amounting to approximately 55% of the planned expenditures for defense.

Minister Papikyan emphasized that although there have been changes in the numbers, the year is not yet over. He stated, “Our processes will continue until the end of the year, and most of the questions depend on presenting the information of contractors and subcontractors in the relevant report. That is why we have announced an open competition.”

During the session, the Minister addressed the confusion regarding the comparison between the previous and current numbers. He acknowledged that a comparison exists but clarified that it is not simply a change of color in one uniform to another; it is a substantial change. The Minister emphasized the importance of having high-quality and reliable military uniforms that meet international standards. To achieve this, an open competition will be held to select the best options.

Minister Papikyan also discussed the types of cooperation, starting with the field uniform. Several Armenian companies have already participated and passed the first stage of qualification. However, for the second stage, only one foreign manufacturer has applied so far. The Minister assured that they are currently working with international partners and will receive offers at the beginning of next year. Based on these offers, decisions will be made regarding the modernization of Armenian symbolism, and a competition for production will be announced.