YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said on Tuesday that diplomatic missions abroad collected approximately 1.5 billion drams in consulate duties and other revenues–almost as much as the entire 2001 state budget.
He also mentioned that the finances allocated to the embassies by the budget was used to its fullest capacity in 2001–and 92.6 percent of the financing for the central machinery was used.
Oskanian described the 2002 state budget as a realistic and clear document–adding that if the money is received on time–the government agencies receiving finances could avoid accumulating debts.
As for opening any new diplomatic offices in 2002–the minister said that one of the foreign ministries top priorities is the establishment of an Armenian Embassy in Japan. He said that an Embassy in Ukraine is necessary as well–however–Oskanian could not say whether it would be build in 2002.