ARMENIA SPENT $70 MILLION ON DEFENSE IN FIRST MONTHS OF 2004

During the first months of 2004 the expenses for defense in Armenia comprised 35 billion drams (about $70 million), thus having increased by 20% as compared to the same period of the year 2003, the Armenian Ministry of Finance and Economy reported. To note, the total amount of expenses of the state budget makes 173.554 billion drams (almost $345 million).