Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan, during a press briefing, commented on his earlier social media post concerning Narek Karapetyan, the nephew of businessman Samvel Karapetyan, who is currently under a two-month detention. In that post, Papoyan had remarked: “People want to transform Lori but can't manage to build a single plant.”
He clarified that the comment referred to the construction of a metallurgical plant in Hrazdan by the Tashir Group, a project the Armenian government has actively supported. According to Papoyan, the government has employed multiple mechanisms to aid the initiative, including the inclusion of the plant in a free economic zone in 2024, a move he said was personally initiated to ensure the investment proceeds.
“GTB made investments, and hundreds work there. The Karkerti smelter was built—hundreds work there, too. Mikmetal is also operational, employing hundreds. It’s only this plant that remains unfinished. Honestly, we are still ready to help in any way we can,” Papoyan stated.
He added that he has met with Narek Karapetyan multiple times, most recently one month ago.
Addressing questions regarding liquefied gas, the minister stressed that his recent talks with Georgian officials were strictly about Armenian brandy exports—not about gas. This came in response to claims that gas prices in Armenia had risen due to alleged bribes demanded from gas transporters in Georgia.
Papoyan stated that he has submitted an appeal to the Anti-Corruption Court regarding a publication that suggested some Armenian officials were involved in the alleged bribery scheme. He expressed hope that if no evidence is found, the article’s author would issue a public retraction.
The minister also confirmed that the Civil Contract party's critical stance toward the Church remains on its agenda and has not been retracted.
In a related video statement, Tashir Group Vice President Narek Karapetyan noted that Armenia’s provinces are experiencing depopulation, worsened by the lack of long-term development infrastructure. He reaffirmed that “industrialization is the only alternative for Armenia,” adding that their regional development efforts will begin with Vanadzor.
