Former Deputy Minister responds to Economy Minister`s criticism

ArmInfo.Lilia Shushanyan, a representative of the opposition bloc Strong Armenia and former Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and  Infrastructure, has publicly responded to critical remarks made against her by Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan.

"The Minister of Economy, who by his own admission was previously a  'fictitious' representative of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)  and is today a member of Civil Contract, has chosen to address my  humble person regarding matters of our political team and  professional issues," Shushanyan wrote on her Facebook page.

The former deputy minister noted that she served in the Armenian  government across four different prime ministerial  administrations—beginning under Tigran Sargsyan—under one clear  condition: maintaining strict non-partisanship in her administrative  work.

Addressing the sectoral policy discussions, Shushanyan asserted that  her legislative and administrative positions had been selectively  presented or misconstrued. She clarified that she had consistently  advocated for imposing additional fees on mining operations, provided  they were structured correctly as transparent taxes—a position she  noted is shared by other members of the Strong Armenia faction.

"Months after my departure, the government transitioned to this exact  tax regulation, utilizing the very justifications I had previously  voiced," Shushanyan added.

Earlier today, Papoyan sarcastically wrote on his Facebook page that  "an ally of former 'next prime minister' Samvel Karapetyan, who was  number 18 on the political party's list, was denied a parliamentary  seat due to a vote of no confidence." Papoyan then went on to  insultingly write that "this character was the 'Minister of  Environment of the failed government of the Armenian bin Laden.'"  Papoyan goes on to write that Shushanyan, in an interview, said she  was against additional taxation of the mining industry, for which she  was fired, and then, seeing that "the nephew of a Kaluga resident  holds a completely opposite opinion, she immediately changes her  point of view and becomes a supporter of additional taxation of the  mining industry."