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The draft state budget for 2023 is the biggest in the history of Armenia, and its expenditure is about 2.6 trillion AMD or more than 6.5 billion USD. Compared with the expenditure of the previous year state budget the expenditure for 2023 increased by about 19%, and with that we could increase the expenditures on defense by about 50%. The social expenditures were increased by 12%: the amount of pensions will increase from July 2023. In 2023, the average pension will increase from about 44.500 AMD, making more than 50.000 AMD. From January 1, the minimum salary in Armenia will become from 68.000 to 75.000. On November 17, during the parliamentary briefings the deputy of the Civil Contract Faction Gevorg Papoyan said about this.

Highlighting the increase of the financial means aimed at the human capital and the economic development, Gevorg Papoyan informed that next year the construction works of North-South highway will start in Syunik Marz. This year the construction works of about 100 schools and kindergartens will be completed, and in 2023 – also about 100.

In response to the journalist’ question, the Secretary of the Civil Contract Faction Artur Hovhannisyan touched upon the issue regarding the signing of the framework agreement of peace announced by the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. According to Artur Hovhannisyan, all problems should be addressed. “The Azerbaijani side regularly disrupts a number of processes of deconstructive policy. The thing is to fix the red lines, addressing the problems, on the basis of which we can go forward. This is a proposal that sounded by us, and we should understand what developments will be in the negotiation process, and accordingly, go forward. In fact, the red lines are fixed, 29.800 km² sovereign territory is a red line for us, which in itself means that the Azerbaijani troops being on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia at this moment should withdraw to primary positions. Addressing the problems, trying to be flexible in the negotiation process we should go forward, naturally expecting our international colleagues’ support, to decrease the escalation risk on the borders, on the contact line of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Security Council, the Prime Minister try to present in detail about the further developments,” Artur Hovhannisyan noted.

Speaking about the probability of signing the peace agreement until the end of the year, the Secretary of the Faction underlined that nobody can say how it is possible, because it greatly depends on Azerbaijan. “The Republic of Armenia is inclined to sign until the end of the year, our diplomatic corps does everything for increasing the possibilities,” Artur Hovhannisyan said, thanking all international colleagues for the support in the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations and the proposals of creating a platform. The MP added that the procedure will show on which platform, in what format, in what terms and content the agreement will be signed.