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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s wife, Anna Hakobyan, was accompanied by the State Protection Service and protocol officers during her trip to Italy in November 2024, the government’s Information and Public Relations Department told Panorama.am on Monday, adding that no additional delegation was formed for the visit.

The government refused to disclose the number of State Protection Service employees accompanying Anna Hakobyan, calling it a state secret.

“Pursuant to Article 8.1 (Clause 4) of the Law on State Secrets, such details are classified. Additionally, Article 8 of the Law on Freedom of Information allows information to be withheld if it contains state, banking or commercial secrets,” it said.

The official response further revealed that during the visit, Anna Hakobyan was accompanied by one ceremonial officer. The total expenses of the business trip amounted to 450,601 drams, which included a daily allowance of 164,868 drams, a nightly wage of 22,666 drams and a plane ticket costing 61,067 drams.

The government refused to reveal whether Anna Hakobyan’s hairdresser accompanied her to Italy. Meanwhile, the hairdresser posted photos from Rome on her Instagram page during the same period.

Furthermore, the total expenses of Anna Hakobyan’s visit to Italy remain undisclosed by both the government and the My Step Foundation.

Earlier, Pashinyan said on his Facebook page that 787,790 drams were spent from the state budget for overnight accommodation. According to the government, this amount covered three nights' stay.

Panorama.am also revealed that Pashinyan and his wife stayed at the five-star Hotel de Russie in Rome. However, the government did not respond to its request to confirm or deny the information.