YEREVAN (A.W.)—Vigen Sargsyan, the former chief of the presidential staff, was named Armenia’s new Defense Minister on Oct. 3, replacing outgoing Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, who had served as minister for more than eight years.
With Armenian President Serge Sarkisian’s appointment of Sargsyan and re-appointment of Edward Nalbandian as Foreign Minister, Prime Minster Karen Karapetyan’s cabinet is now completely formed.
The members of the new cabinet are:
Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan
Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchyan
Minister of Healthcare Levon Altunyan
Minister of Emergency Situations Armen Yeritsyan
Minister of International Economic Integration and Reforms Vache Gabrielyan
Minister of Defense Vigen Sargsyan
Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan
Minister of Economic Development and Investment Suren Karayan
Minister of Culture Armen Amiryan
Minister of Finance Vardan Aramyan
Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian
Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Hrachya Rostomyan
Minister of Agriculture Ignati Arakelyan
Minister of Territorial Administration and Development Davit Lokyan
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Artem Asatryan
Minister of Transport, Communications and IT Industry Vahan Martirosyan
Minister of Nature Protection Artsvik Minasyan
Minister of Justice Arpine Hovhannisyan
Minister of Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources Ashot Manukyan
Movses Hakobyan was also appointed as the new chief of the Armenian Armed Forces General Staff, replacing Yuri Khachaturov, who was appointed the secretary of Armenia’s National Security Council.
The Oct. 3 ministerial appointments filled the last two vacancies in Karapetyan’s new cabinet, which the new Prime Minister began forming shortly after being appointed.
Hopefully the newly formed cabinet will immediately start working on the urgent matters that faces the nation.
The cabinet is made up of 18 ministries. Three are ARF members.
Minasyan Minister of Nature Protection
Lokyan Territorial Administration and development
Mkrtchyan Education and Science.
It is noteworthy to highlight that the ARF with only 5 members of Parliament and having garnered only 5% of the vote in the last elections, have three ministers that represent 17% of the cabinet.
It makes me wonder what happened ?
What kind of deal or agreement has the ARF made with the Republican Party?
Vart Adjemian