Nikol Pashinyan Talks About the Sale of Viva-MTS

During a Q&A session in the National Assembly, Deputy of the Civil Contract Party Arsen Torosyan referred to the sale of Armenia's telecom operator, Viva-MTS. The deputy noted that the 100% shareholder of the company is Aramayo Investments Limited, registered in Cyprus. Six months ago, the relevant entities provided a negative conclusion regarding the deal, which has since changed.

Torosyan inquired what convincing arguments led to the negative conclusion being turned into a positive one. “The negative conclusion was given six months ago because studies raised concerns, which were later alleviated during the review of additional evidence provided by the company. Therefore, the negative conclusion became a positive conclusion,” stated Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Arsen Torosyan responded by saying that the mentioned company has not demonstrated significant experience in conducting business in this sector. The Prime Minister reiterated that a thorough investigation had taken place. “The Armenian government is the first to see the existing concerns and potential risks, and when those are alleviated through an objective review, a corresponding decision is made,” he said.