YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Armenia’s military budget for 2008 will increase 20 percent to 124.366 billion drams (about $380 million). Defense Minister Mikael Harutunian said Thursday after a closed-door discussion of the army’s next year budget that the increased funds will be spent on the purchase of new equipment and ammunition.
He said wages and salaries in the army will increase by 10 percent, while new funds will be allocated to the building of apartmen’s for officers. Three million drams of this sum will be allocated to families of killed servicemen to improve their housing conditions.
The minister said the budget is quite enough to ensure a combat-ready army and protect Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh,"
