Finance Minister Downplays Armenia’s Rising Debt Փետրվար 04, 2021 Կիսվել Տարածել Տպել Finance Minister Atom Janjughazian on Thursday acknowledged that Armenia’s growing public debt is a cause for concern but insisted that the government can bring it to a “more manageable level.” The debt rose by $647 million, to almost $8 billion, in the course of 2020 amid a steep recession primarily caused by the coronavirus pandemic. According to government projections, it will likely pass the $9 billion mark by the end of this year. “It would be strange if the body tasked with public debt management was not concerned [about the rising debt,]” Janjughazian told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan.