13 Mar 2022 14:22

New Armenian president takes office

YEREVAN. March 13 (Interfax) - Armenian President-elect Vahagn Khachaturyan was sworn in and assumed office at a special parliamentary session on Sunday, an Interfax correspondent reported.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, representatives of the ruling party, and the Catholicos of All Armenians attended the inauguration ceremony.

Khachaturyan was elected president on March 3 in the second round of elections held by the parliament. He was the only candidate, as only representatives of the ruling Civic Contract faction voted for him. The opposition boycotted the election.

Representatives of the parliamentary opposition did not participate in the presidential inauguration ceremony either.

Armenia is a parliamentary republic, where the parliament elects the president.

Khachaturyan is believed to be a political associate of former Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan (1991-1998). He served as the Yerevan mayor in 1992-1996, a presidential advisor in 1996-1998, and a member of the Executive Board of Armeconbank, owned by the family of major Armenian businessman, parliament deputy from the ruling party Khachatur Sukiasyan, in 2019-2021. Khachaturyan was appointed high tech industry minister in August 2021.