YEREVAN. – The legislative regulations in force today in Armenia are such that when an official is appointed, there is already a prejudicial thinking that he may be corrupt. Hakob Arshakyan, the Minister of High-Technological Industry, stated this at the government session today.

According to him, this prejudicial thinking puts such restrictions on the official that he has to constantly ask lawyer whether or not there is a violation here. "You have to ask even when making trivial decisions, even in case of spending small amounts when you have the conviction that it should be so," the minister added.

In response, Finance Minister Atom Janjughazyan said there was no single formula here. "This assumption that an official is a possible corrupt [official] probably has its explanation," he said. "We need to make an effort to change that perception."