Former Finance Chief Is Appointed Prime Minister in Armenia
This nation’s newly elected President Robert Kocharyan on Friday appointed former Finance Minister Armen Darbinyan as his prime minister, the presidential press service said.
Darbinyan, a 33-year-old economist, is known as a staunch supporter of continuing radical economic reforms and of speeding up privatization in the impoverished Caucasus country. His appointment was widely expected.
Darbinyan led the Finance Ministry under former President Levon A. Ter-Petrosyan from May 1997 until Petrosyan’s resignation in February. Under the constitution, Darbinyan must now assemble a cabinet. His appointment needs no approval from the 190-member parliament.
Kocharyan was sworn in Thursday as the former Soviet republic’s second president after winning a runoff election last month held to replace Ter-Petrosyan.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
