Armenia plans to increase its defense expenditures in 2024 by 81 percent compared to 2020.
According to the news of Armenia’s official news agency Armenpress, based on the statement of the Ministry of Finance on its “Facebook” page, the Yerevan administration allocated 557 billion drams (approximately $1.37 billion) to the Ministry of Defense from the 2024 budget.
In the 2024 defense budget, the ministry expects an increase of 81 percent compared to Armenia’s 2020 defense expenditures, which was 308 billion drams (approximately $760 million).
Armenia’s defense budget for 2024, is stated to correspond to more than 17 percent of overall public spending.
Armenia increased its 2024 defense budget by 6 percent compared to its 2023 expenditures (527 billion drams, approximately $1.3 billion)
New uniform for the army
On the other hand, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia announced that the new military uniforms designed for the army will be prepared based on the NATO standard.
Speaking to local media, ministry officials reminded that Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan made a statement on this issue in the National Assembly in November, noting that negotiations are proceeding with “a number of international partners” in the process of replacing Soviet and Russian standard uniforms.
“We base the selection of new military uniforms on NATO criteria and international experience. Samples of uniforms that are valid in the armies of USA, France, Greece, and Czech Republic have been examined by us” the ministry officials said, adding that after the process of replacing the uniforms is completed, the law draft proposing the official ban on the sale of military clothes will be submitted to the parliament.
In 2023, the Armenian government initiated a tender for domestic companies in order to collect proposals on the design and quality of new uniforms for the armed forces.
Progress in defense budget
Armenia’s expenditures in the field of defense are composed of 16 percent of total government expenditures in 2020 and 2021, 15 percent in 2022, and 20 percent in 2023.
Amount that Armenia spent on defense: 308 billion drams in 2020 (approximately $760 million), 312 billion drams in 2021 (approximately $770 million), 347 billion drams in 2022 (approximately $855 million), and 527 billion drams in 2023 (approximately $1.3 billion).
