Ex-Gazprom manager temporarily becomes Prime Minister of Armenia
A new Prime Minister of Armenia “from the people” will be appointed within a week. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan stated this today in Yerevan at a rally on the occasion of the resignation of old Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“A new prime minister from the people should be appointed in the coming week. After this, an interim government will be formed, and then early parliamentary elections will be called,” Pashinyan said.
In the meantime, the duties of Prime Minister are performed by First Deputy Prime Minister Karen Karapityan. It was he who held negotiations with Pashinyan today an hour before Sargsyan’s resignation. After the conversation, the oppositionist was released from the pre-trial detention center, where he was kept for about a day.
Experts admit that it is Karapetyan who can become “the prime minister of the people.” In the past, he held senior positions in the Russian Gazprom. In addition, Karen is supported by his godfather and namesake Samvel Karapetyan, an influential businessman in Russia.
He is one of the hundred richest people in Russia and the thousand richest people in the world according to Forbes, but maintains ties with his homeland. His group of companies is called "Tashir" in honor of his hometown.
In 2011-2015, Karapetyan worked as first vice president of OJSC Gazprombank, deputy general director of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz LLC, and deputy general director of Gazprom Energoholding LLC. In 2016, he was appointed Prime Minister of Armenia.
On April 9 he was dismissed, but performed his duties. It was expected that former President Sargsyan would become prime minister with new expanded powers, but opposition protests prevented this.
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