A Cabinet meeting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan. Before proceeding to the agenda, the Prime Minister congratulated the newly appointed members of the government: First Deputy Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, Deputy Prime Ministers Armen Gevorgyan and Vache Gabrielyan, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan, Minister of Economic Development and Investments Suren Karayan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Development Davit Lokyan and Minister of Finance Vardan Aramyan.

The Prime Minister suggested not discussing today the Government’s programs, principles and approaches as the new government was still in process of formation. Noting that the process will have been completed in a couple of days, Prime Minister Sargsyan suggested starting the discussion of the agenda, which was of paramount importance at this stage, and noted that the aforementioned issues might be taken up at the next Cabinet meeting.

The Prime Minister touched upon another issue related to the Government’s decision to allocate free of charge to the third President of the Republic of Armenia one of the private houses in Kond as permanent residence.

“All of you have been members of the government which a few weeks ago decided to allocate to the Third President one of the seven private residences in Kond where neither the First President nor the Second President had ever lived. Of course, I am familiar with the arguments and reasons behind the decision. They were logical and well-substantiated. As a candidate for the position of Prime Minister, I then voiced the same arguments in the National Assembly, defending your initiative.

I am grateful for your decision, but today I am heading the government and chairing this meeting. The situation is different now. Therefore, I decided that I should abandon my ownership right to that residence at the very first Cabinet sitting I would hold, that is today. Mr. Gevorgyan, please ask the competent government officials to prepare a draft decision for the next meeting.

It is not the right time to address the housing problems of the Third President. The matter can be taken up in the future when another prime minister will be sitting on this chair. I hope you understand my decision. I want to thank you once again for making such a decision,” Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan said.

The Executive approved the Government’s legislative initiative concerning the draft law on amending the RA Law “On Alienation of Property for Public and State Needs.” The bill is meant to strengthen the legal bases for more effective protection of property rights. The meeting next endorsed the Government’s legislative initiative on amending the RA Law on “Compulsory Enforcement of Judicial Acts.” The draft law is meant to remove the obstacles arising during the customs clearance of goods if the addressee’s property or money is encumbered.

The bill specifies that when the debtor has no property or is insolvent, or when the property is pledged or is his/her only asset, the enforcement officer has the right to set a deadline for the debtor to register the property or ownership rights in the name of the debtor.

The Government decided that Armenian Helicopters LLC shall benefit from the privilege of exemption of customs duties for all technological equipment, components and accessories, raw materials and other inputs imported under the investment program implemented in the priority area.
Money will be allocated from the Government’s Reserve Fund to the State Water Management Committee of the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources for the procurement of 20 mobile pumps with a view to taking urgent measures in order to address the risk of water shortage in the country during the irrigation season.

All of the agenda items were discussed and approved at the meeting.