YEREVAN. – The government is attempting to keep as classified as possible the total amount allocated from the state budget for Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan’s visits to Switzerland and Kazakhstan, according to Zhoghovurd (People) newspaper of the Republic of Armenia (RA).

“In response to our written inquiry, the government has informed that 6.7mn drams were allocated from the funds envisioned for the official foreign business trips of the budget for the expenses of members representing the government staff of the RA delegation in Switzerland.

“And 1.1mn drams were spent from the budget to participate in the EAEU [Eurasian Economic Union] Intergovernmental Council meeting in the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan.

“[But] the government does not inform about the expenses of the PM himself, arguing that (…) protocol, living, [and] transportation service expenses are included in the plan of purchases containing state secrets and are not subject to making public,” wrote Zhoghovurd.