ArmInfo. Yerevan Mayor Tigran
Avinyan called false the accusations voiced by ex-Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan that during his chairmanship of ANIF (the soon-to-be-liquidated State Interests Fund) he did not provide any reporting.
"I have the feeling that former officials, after leaving their positions for one reason or another, then become fighters for justice, while the rest are bad and do the opposite. I don't want to get into this debate. I was the chairman of the ANIF board and did not get paid for this," said Avinyan.
He recalled that the State Interest Fund was the only structure in the region that managed to bring the Emirati company Masdar, after which neighboring countries followed the same example. Avinyan emphasized that each similar program with a similar investor entails dozens of similar programs. The mayor noted that without a deep understanding of the prospects, one should not have entered into such everyday discussions. "I'm sure that time will put everything in its place - who was right and who was wrong," Avinyan emphasized.
In response to a question regarding disagreements with the Prime Minister and rumors about the removal of his deputy Armen Pambukhchyan from his post, Avinyan stated that he trusts the latter as he trusts himself. On May 23, 2024, the Armenian Government decided to dissolve the ANIF Foundation. The justification for the resolution does not indicate the reasons and grounds for the liquidation of the fund, and it is also unclear what will happen to the investments of ANIF and its subsidiaries.
