Government refuses to disclose budget for Learning is Trendy campaign

The Armenian government has declined to reveal how much public funds have been spent on the Learning is Trendy campaign founded by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s wife, Anna Hakobyan, claiming the information is classified as a state secret.

During a June 6 session of the National Assembly, Chief of the Prime Minister’s Staff Arayik Harutyunyan revealed that the campaign was being funded by the prime minister’s office. Panorama.am submitted an inquiry to the government’s Information and Public Relations Department, seeking clarification on several key issues: Since when has the campaign been funded from the state budget? What is its legal basis? How much has been spent on the campaign up to June 9, 2025?

Panorama also requested a detailed breakdown of the expenses, including costs related to venue rentals, transportation, accommodation and the production of campaign materials.

In its official response, the government said the campaign’s event management services are part of a procurement plan that includes classified information, Thus, it claimed the requested data is not subject to public disclosure.

The government further clarified that only the events attended by Pashinyan are directly funded by the prime minister’s office.