Armenia Says It’s Committed to Only Purchasing New Armaments in 2024

In the course of Armenia’s 2024 budget debates, Andranik Kocharyan, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security Affairs, stressed Armenia's steadfast policy against acquiring used armaments for its defense forces.

Throughout the discussions revolving around the forthcoming budget, Kocharyan highlighted the importance of next year’s financial plan, framing it as a "security budget." While the Finance Minister proposed an allocation of 555 billion drams ($1.4 billion) for defense spending, a noticeable increase from the previous year, Kocharyan emphasized that the closed-door session concentrated on scrutinizing the structure of armament expenses and ongoing defense projects.

Underlining the important elements of the closed meeting, Kocharyan emphasized the exclusive procurement of defensive arms, stressing that they must be entirely new, despite their defensive nature. He stated, "The Republic of Armenia will never acquire used defensive armaments."

Additionally, he delved into discussions centered on fortification and reinforcement projects, commending their progress and assuring their continued prioritization.

A disclosure arose from the draft of Armenia's 2024 state budget submitted to the parliament. It revealed a commitment, with 41% of the country's capital expenditures explicitly allocated to bolstering Armenia’s defense sector. This ambitious move will result in an increase in capital expenditures, totaling 710 billion drams ($1.8 billion) for the year 2024.

Of this amount, a significant allocation of 555 billion drams ($1.4 billion) will be directed to the Ministry of Defense, indicating a 7% increase compared to the previous year's budget. This substantial investment will correspond to 5.3% of the country's GDP earmarked for defense spending.