Today, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired his first Cabinet meeting after taking office. Before discussing the agenda issues, the Prime Minister touched upon the hailstorm in Armavir Marz and asked Acting Minister of Agriculture Ignaty Arakelyan to report on the situation in the region.

Ignaty Arakelyan advised that a group of experts has been sent to the region and will report back their findings once back to Yerevan. “According to operative data, the amount of damage is not high, but there are several orchards damaged,” the Acting Minister said, adding that the relevant commission will assess and state the amount of damage.

In response to the Prime Minister’s question about what kind of assistance is supposed to be provided in that event, Ignaty Arakelyan said assistance may come in the form of exemption of some liabilities ranging from land tax to water fees.

“I think we should take up the matter later as we have to make sure that support is effective rather than formal so that people actually feel that the State makes serious efforts to get out of that situation,” Nikol Pashinyan emphasized.

The Executive approved an investment program for establishment of the Dilijan Resort Center and the development of public infrastructures. The Armenian Development Initiatives (IDeA) has initiated the implementation of the Dilijan Resort Center and the development of a public infrastructure project.

The project has four components: establishment of the Chaum Dilijan Center, improvement of the municipal lake, city park and city stadium. The investment program will be phased over 60 months, within the framework of which it is envisaged to invest at least 15,682 billion drams.

The government made changes to the decision passed on March 29, 2018, which referred to one of Kond’s mansions to be provided free of charge by the right of ownership to the third President of the Republic of Armenia.

“The problem is clear: one of the governmental mansions was thereby privatized, but due to the events that followed, the decision will have to be amended in order to call off the part of it which concerns the privatization of a particular governmental building and find another solution to provide the guarantee envisaged by law,” Nikol Pashinyan said and tasked Chief of Prime Minister’s Staff Edward Aghajanyan to submit a proposal within a month’s time on the enforcement of the prescribed guarantee for the provision of a private residence to Serzh Sargsyan.

The government decided to establish the Military-Technical Research Institute SNCO, which shall promote the technological development of Armenia’s military industry with the full use of scientific and economic potential in military industry.

At the end of the Cabinet meeting, Nikol Pashinyan thanked the members of the government. “I wish to thank you now. As a matter of fact, the government meets for the last time in this composition. I wish you every success, as well as good luck to the new government,” the Premier said.