YEREVAN. – The 2017 budget does not plan a large increase in the budget of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia.

Defense minister Vigen Sargsyan told the above-said to reporters, after Monday’s National Assembly hearings on the draft state budget for next year.

“Since the Defense Ministry’s budget is closed and confidential for obvious reasons, I can [only] say that, in terms of general policy, a large [MOD] budget increase is not expected,” noted Sargsyan. “What is expected is within the framework of natural growth.

“But we [i.e. the MOD] have major internal distributions in terms of increased funds for combat-readiness and arms, on the account of savings; this policy will be kept.”