YEREVAN. – The expenses of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) of Armenia will increase by 300 million drams in 2021; these are the expenses that we need very much. Emergency minister Feliks Tsolakyan mentioned this in a talk with journalists at the National Assembly Friday, adding that these expenses have increased in terms of energy expenses and acquisition of rescue equipment.

"There is no personnel problem at the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Fortunately for us, the number of people admitted to the [MES] academy has sharply increased this year. The interest in the Ministry of Emergency Situations is great and we will have 300 students this year. But we have an equipment problem; it is not envisaged by the budget," he added.

Tsolakyan noted that until today, 91 employees of the MES had been infected with COVID-19, but now the respective numbers were dropping. "Most of the cases were cases brought from abroad; we [the MES] did not have it inside, in the area. We have had 380 self-isolated [persons] and two deaths. At the moment we have four [coronavirus] patients," the minister said.