During today’s Government session two issues were devoted to properties which were attached to the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Environment.

Before addressing the agenda items, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia Anna Vardapetyan provided information on the property and funds returned to the state or community by the Prosecutor General's Office from January 1, 2025 to present, within the framework of the exclusive power to initiate a lawsuit to protect state (community) interests, as well as in the result of prosecutorial action.

Anna Vardapetyan, in particular, noted: "The Prosecutor's Office, within the framework of the exclusive authority to initiate a lawsuit to protect state (community) interests, as well as in the result of prosecutorial influence, has returned to the state or community property worth AMD 66 billion 250 million, equivalent to 174 million 545 thousand US dollars, including 3 kindergartens, a cultural center, a stadium, a natural monument, parks, land plots and funds, from January 1, 2025 to the present."

Referring to the agenda items, as a result of which properties were attached to the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Environment, the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia emphasized:

"The property attached to the Ministry of Defense is a special-purpose land plot with an area of ​​1.92 hectares located in the village of Sayat-Nova, Masis community, Ararat region.

I would also like to note that one of the unreported issues included in the previous session of the Government, which related to the invalidation of the Government's Decision No. 479-A of April 6, 2006, restored the property rights of the Republic of Armenia to a land plot with an area of ​​13 thousand 268 hectares.

I will briefly present the background of the decision.

The Prosecutor's Office of Ararat Region, within the framework of its authority to protect state (community) interests, had examined the documents on the allocation of approximately 5,330 hectares of land outside the administrative borders of the communities of Ararat Region to the "Animal World" LLC Company with the right to gratuitous use.

The examination revealed that the former Governor /Marzpet/ of Ararat Region (Alik Sargsyan), abusing his official position, in violation of the requirements of legal acts, had allocated approximately 5,330 hectares of land from state-owned environmental lands with the right to gratuitous use for a period of 49 years to a member of the Republican Party of Armenia (Vardges Matevosyan), the driver of the person who held the position of Minister of Territorial Administration in 2005-2007 (Hovik Abrahamyan), and the "Animal World" LLC Company, established for profit, owned by the former Ararat Governor (Alik Sargsyan).

I would like to note that the approximate cadastral value of the 5,330-hectare land plot is AMD 60 billion 553 million 218 thousand, equivalent to 158 million 263 thousand US dollars.

As a result of the investigation,

• The prosecutor addressed a petition to the Cadastre Committee to take measures to conduct state registration of the unilateral termination of the contract signed on October 11, 2006 between "Animal World" LLC and the former Governor of Ararat. Based on the petition, on September 19, 2025, state registration of the termination of the right to gratuitous use of the specified land plots was carried out.
• On September 22, 2025, the prosecutor filed a report on the crime with the Anti-Corruption Committee. Based on the report, criminal proceedings were initiated in the Anti-Corruption Committee (under Point 2, Part 2 of Article 441 of the Criminal Code (abuse of official or official powers or influence resulting therefrom or transfer of powers by an official, which caused particularly large property damage) (3 episodes)).

The Prosecutor's Office also revealed that on July 1, 2006, the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia, in accordance with the Government's Decision No. 479-A of April 6, 2006, concluded a contract for the gratuitous use of 4,118 hectares of Jermuk Forestry State and 3,620 hectares of the Yeghegis Forestry State of Vayots Dzor Region for a period of 49 years. The contract was concluded without notarization, was not submitted for state registration within the specified period, and therefore is null and void.

Thus, the lands specified in the Government's Decision No. 479-A of April 6, 2006, 5,330 hectares are no longer transferred to the Company for gratuitous use.

The contract concluded in respect of 4,118 hectares and 3,620 hectares is null and void.

Consequently, it has become necessary to declare the Government's Resolution No. 479-A null and void.

I would also like to add that as of today, AMD 20 billion 678 million has been deposited into the Unified Account for Recovered Funds, which was launched on December 5, 2024”.