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Armenia’s Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan claims he was just joking when he said he would resign if Armenia failed to record a double-digit economic growth in 2021.

His comments came in response to a question of Aregnaz Manukyan, an MP from the opposition Hayastan (Armenia) faction, at a parliament session on Wednesday.

Taking the parliamentary floor, the lawmaker played a recording of one of Kerobyan's speeches, where he made the promise.

The minister stated that the recording was incomplete.

"If you listen to the full recording, you will realize that it was a comment I made in jest,” Kerobyan said. “By the way, are you as demanding of the international financial institutions the forecasts of which for Armenia also did not come true?"

"You see, after such a response we will have to treat all your statements as something of a joke. And I'm telling you in all seriousness that you just lied,” Manukyan retorted.