YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–The Armenian government and the Pernod Ricard company signed in Paris the agreement on the sale of the Yerevan Brandy Factory–the government’s press service reported. Minister of Privatization Pavel Khachatrian signed the official documen’s on behalf of Armenia. Further details were not made available.
A special session of the Armenian National Assembly on Thursday rejected its initiators’ proposal to take the brandy factory off the privatization list for at least a year. Seventy-two deputies voted for the proposal–ten voted against and 24 abstained from voting. According to the electronic roll call system–which was questioned at the session–159 deputies were present at the session–and–therefore 80 votes in favor of the proposal were needed for its passage.