Vice Speaker Hakob Arshakyan says won’t run for parliament in 2026, but will stay with Civil Contract
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Vice Speaker of Parliament Hakob Arshakyan, representing the ruling Civil Contract party, told reporters on Tuesday that he will not run for parliament in 2026 but will remain a party member.
“I haven’t nominated myself: I was not included on this list because I consider myself to be more effective in developing business, advancing technology, promoting the defense industry, and enhancing Armenia’s competitiveness,” Arshakyan said.
Arshakyan noted that he is an engineer by profession and has worked on economic development projects in Armenia, attracting major international projects from various countries to the country.
“Of course, throughout my career, I have also been involved in politics. The main driving force behind this has been the fact that elections in Armenia were often falsified in the past, and the will of the Armenian people was not expressed. In 2018, Armenia underwent a revolution, after which, having political responsibility as well, I was offered the position of Minister of Transport, Communication, and Information Technologies,” Arshakyan said, outlining his political career.
In 2021, Arshakyan was elected a Member of Parliament through the Civil Contract party list and later became Vice Speaker of Parliament.
“I saw that democracy in Armenia was under threat. That is why I became involved in political processes again. At this moment, I see that we have reached an irreversible point where democracy in Armenia is firmly established, and our people uphold it through their decisions and votes. I see that our political team is fully and seriously represented on the list. I also see that I am most effective in strengthening and developing Armenia’s technology sector and defense industry. I believe I have much more to contribute in Armenia’s value-creating sectors, where my accumulated experience and knowledge can serve my country and people to a greater extent,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the regional unblocking will take place and all routes around Armenia will be reopened. In this context, the Armenian economy needs to be competitive, he said.
He said he will remain a party member and expressed confidence that Civil Contract will achieve a landslide victory in the 2026 general elections.