Press locked out as Armenian PM addresses parliament on budget report

On June 4, journalists were not permitted to enter the small session hall of Armenia’s National Assembly, where Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was delivering remarks.

Armenian media reported that the press was denied access during a session involving preliminary discussions on the government’s annual report titled “On the Execution of the State Budget of the Republic of Armenia for 2024”, per Caliber.Az.

These discussions are being held within the National Assembly’s standing committees and include participation from members of parliament, representatives of the Central Bank, and government officials.

According to Armenia’s Ministry of Finance, state budget execution in 2024 reached 95.8% for revenues and 93.9% for expenditures. The revised figures of the country’s main financial document projected revenues exceeding 2.72 trillion drams (approximately $6.9 billion) and expenditures nearing 3.18 trillion drams.

As of the end of 2024, Armenia’s public debt stood at approximately 5.093 trillion drams (around $12.8 billion), amounting to 48.3% of the country’s GDP.

By Tamilla Hasanova