Eleven Out Of 17 Armenian Ministers Retain Posts In Government

The Armenian presidential press service said Saturday that Armenian President Armen Sarkissian signed decrees appointing 12 ministers in the new Armenian government, 11 of which retained their posts

YEREVAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2019) The Armenian presidential press service said Saturday that Armenian President Armen Sarkissian signed decrees appointing 12 ministers in the new Armenian government, 11 of which retained their posts.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was reappointed earlier in January after his political bloc, My Step Alliance, won a majority in parliament in the December 9 snap legislative vote.

According to the statement, Zaruhi Batoyan became a new minister of labor and social affairs, while Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Defense Minister David Tonoyan, Minister of Emergency Situations Feliks Tsolakyan, as well as Minister of Nature Protection Erik Grigoryan, Minister of Transport, Communication and IT Hakob Arshakyan and Minister of Economic Development and Investments Tigran Khachatryan retained their posts.

Moreover, Finance Minister Atom Janjughazyan, Healthcare Minister Arsen Torosyan, Justice Minister Artak Zeynalyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Development Suren Papikyan and Minister of education and Science Arayik Harutyunyan are also kept in office.

Last year, the Armenian government drafted a bill envisaged reducing the number of ministries from 17 to 12.