Gagik Beglaryan to Vardan Ayvazyan: Why are you outraged?
Today a dispute started between Minister of Transport and Communication, Gagik Beglaryan, and Chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, Vardan Ayvazyan, during the discussion of the state budget 2016. Vardan Ayvazyan asked the minister why prices for Yerevan-Batumi train tickets had gone up. “I asked you a question but you did not hear it. I shall repeat the question. If you want, the question can be answered by Deputy Minister of Finance Pavel Safaryan,” Mr Ayvazyan said. In response, Gagik Beglaryan said, "I shall answer myself. Mr. Ayvazyan, why are you outraged? Mr. Ayvazyan is angered, let him ask his question. " Then he said according to a preliminary agreement, according to a contract signed between the sides, it was decided that if no money is provided from passenger traffic, Armenia is to provide the amount. “Mr Ayavazyan, I do not know whether you were a lawmaker at that time or not, but I must say that we make payments under the contract. If there are errors in the agreement, as you say, we see to it that the prices are not increased unnecessarily. Besides, an audit is conducted in the company every year. What are you worried about? The work is going well and we provide you details.” Beglaryan’s words had a comforting effect on Ayvazyan who started to laud the activities of the transport sector.
