At Wednesday's Cabinet meeting, the Armenian government made a decision and handed over the certified rights of the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine with 15% Armenia’s-owned shares to the trust management of the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF).

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that for the first time the state has a share in the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine.

"This deal seemed dubious to many. The fact that the state was being deprived and has been deprived of its main strategic asset for many years, in fact, is not dubious, whereas the fact that the state has acquired, some are attempting to find corruption traces and deals in it. As a result of corruption, the state is not getting, but the state is losing. We have seen it for many years," Pashinyan added.

Pashinyan noted that the Armenian government will have a representative at the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine.

In September of last ear, the Industrial Company owned by the GeoProMining company had acquired 60% of the shares of the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine, and then donated 15% of them to the government of Armenia.

To note, the matter of former Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan's candidacy is being discussed as a member of the Board of Directors of Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine.