# Prime Minister of Armenia

The prime minister of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի Հանրապետության վարչապետ, romanized: Hayastani Hanrapetut’yan varch’apet) is the head of government and most senior minister within the Armenian government, and is required by the constitution to "determine the main directions of policy of the Government, manage the activities of the Government and coordinate the work of the members of the Government." Also, according to the constitution, the prime minister heads the Security Council, which prescribes the main directions of the country's defense policy; thus, the prime minister is effectively the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan is the current prime minister. He took the office on 8 May 2018 following the resignation of Serzh Sargsyan.

## History
### Original role

The office of prime minister was first established in 1918 with the foundation of the First Republic of Armenia. The prime minister chosen by the National Council of Armenia and was accountable for international, domestic and regional issues. The first Prime Minister became Hovhannes Katchaznouni whose cabinet was made up from five members, all of which were from ARF. In addition, a ministry of interior was created, whose first head was Aram Manukian. It vanished when the First Republic of Armenia was incorporated into the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and then transferred into a full Soviet republic.

### Soviet era

The governmental structure of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was similar to that of the other Soviet republics. The highest executive and administrative organ of state power was the Council of Ministers. The Council consisted of the following positions:
* Chairman
* Vice Chairman
* Chairman of the State Planning Commission
* Cabinet Ministers
* Representative of the Committee of Agricultural Stocks
* Chairman of the Board of Arts
* Representative of the All-Union People's Commissariat

### Restoration

When Armenia regained its independence in 1991, the office of prime minister was reintroduced. Under the new 2015 constitution, the prime minister is the most powerful and influential person in Armenian politics. The prime minister is appointed by the president of Armenia upon the vote of the National Assembly. The prime minister can be removed by a vote of no confidence in Parliament. In the constitutional referendum held in 2015, citizens voted in favor of transferring Armenia into a parliamentary republic.

## Prime Minister's Office

The Prime Minister's Staff has the task of ensuring the enforcement of the powers vested in the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Ministers, as well as making preparations for Cabinet meetings:
| Staff Department | Principal executive | Incumbent |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Chief of Staff | Arayik Harutyunyan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Deputy Chiefs of Staff | Armenak Khachatryan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Deputy Chiefs of Staff | Artur Hovsepyan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Deputy Chiefs of Staff | Sargis Torosyan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Deputy Chiefs of Staff | Taron Chakhoyan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Deputy Chiefs of Staff | Zaruhi Matevosyan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister | Hambardzum Matevosyan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Advisers to Prime Minister | Artashes Toumanian |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Voluntary Advisor | Aleksandr Avetisyan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Voluntary Advisor | Suren Maghakyan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Press Secretary | Nazeli Baghdasaryan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Chief Protocol Officer | Suren Varosyan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Assistants to the Prime Minister | Arsen Mikhaylov |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Assistants to the Prime Minister | Artur Grigoryan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Assistants to the Prime Minister | David Gevorgyan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Assistants to the Prime Minister | Gagik Isakhanyan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Assistants to the Prime Minister | Hakob Abrahamyan |
| Prime Minister's Staff | Assistants to the Prime Minister | Karine Davoyan |
| Relations with the National Assembly | Department Head | Anahit Stephanyan |
| External Relations | Department Head | Karen Gasparyan |
| Legal | Department Head | Hayk Kesoyan |
| Programmes Expertise | Department Head | |
| Personnel and Human Resources Management | Department Head | |
| State and Legal Affairs | Department Head | |
| Social Affairs | Department Head | |
| Territorial Development and Environmental Issues | Department Head | |
| Information and Public Relations | Department Head | |
| Financial and Accounting | Department Head | |
| Financial-Economical | Department Head | |
| Regulatory Impact Assessment | Department Head | |
| Applications, monitoring and evaluation of citizen feedback | Department Head | |
| Administrative Service | Department Head | |
| Protocol Division | Department Head | |
| Protocol Department | Department Head | |
| First Division | Department Head | |
| Mobilization Preparations and Mobilization Programmes Division | Department Head | |
| General Division | Department Head | |
| Division of Pardons, Citizenship, Awards and Titles | Department Head | |
| Security Council Bureau | Department Head | |
| Civil Service Bureau | Department Head | |
| Inspection Bodies’ Coordination Bureau | Department Head | |
| Public Council Secretariat | Department Head | |
| Office of the Representative on international legal matters | Department Head | |

## List of officeholders
### Republic of Armenia (1918–1920)
   #### Prime ministers

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Political party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Political party |
| 1 | | Hovhannes Kajaznuni (1868–1938) | 30 June 1918 | 28 May 1919 | ARF |
| 2 | | Alexander Khatisian (1874–1945) | 28 May 1919 | 5 May 1920 | ARF |
| 3 | | Hamo Ohanjanyan (1873–1947) | 5 May 1920 | 25 November 1920 | ARF |
| 4 | | Simon Vratsian (1882–1969) | 25 November 1920 | 2 December 1920 | ARF |
| Armenia was part of the Soviet Union from 1920 to 1991 (see below) ||||||

### Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (1922–1936)

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Title(s) |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Political party | Title(s) |
| 1 | | Alexander Miasnikian (1886–1925) | 1 January 1921 | 30 January 1922 | HKK | Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars |
| 2 | | Sargis Lukashin (1883–1937) | 21 May 1922 | 24 June 1925 | HKK | Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars |
| 3 | | Sargis Hambardzumyan (1870–1944) | 24 June 1925 | 22 March 1928 | HKK | Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars |
| 4 | | Sahak Ter-Gabrielyan (1886–1937) | 22 March 1928 | 10 February 1935 | HKK | Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars |
| 5 | | Abraham Guloyan (1893–1938) | 10 February 1935 | February 1937 | HKK | Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars |

### Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1991)

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Title(s) |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Political party | Title(s) |
| 6 | | Sargis Hambardzumyan (1870–1944) | February 1937 | May 1937 | HKK | Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars |
| 7 | | Stepan Akopyan (1878–1961) | May 1937 | 21 September 1937 | HKK | Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars |
| 8 | | Aram Piruzyan (1907–1996) | 23 November 1937 | October 1943 | HKK | Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars |
| 9 | | Aghasi Sargsyan (1905–1971) | October 1943 | 1946 | HKK | Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars |
| 9 | | Aghasi Sargsyan (1905–1971) | 1946 | 29 March 1947 | HKK | Chairmen of the Council of Ministers |
| 10 | | Sahak Karapetyan (1906–1987) | 29 March 1947 | 20 November 1952 | HKK | Chairmen of the Council of Ministers |
| 11 | | Anton Kochinyan (1913–1990) | 20 November 1952 | 5 February 1966 | HKK | Chairmen of the Council of Ministers |
| 12 | | Badal Muradyan (1915–1991) | 5 February 1966 | 21 November 1973 | HKK | Chairmen of the Council of Ministers |
| 13 | | Grigory Arzumanyan (1918–1976) | 21 November 1973 | 28 November 1976 | HKK | Chairmen of the Council of Ministers |
| — | | G.A. Martirosyan (1934–2015) | 28 November 1976 | 17 January 1977 | HKK | Chairmen of the Council of Ministers |
| 14 | | Fadey Sargsyan (1923–2010) | 17 January 1977 | 16 January 1989 | HKK | Chairmen of the Council of Ministers |
| 15 | | Vladimir Markaryants (1934–2000) | 16 January 1989 | 13 August 1990 | HKK | Chairmen of the Council of Ministers |
| 16 | | Vazgen Manukyan (born 1946) | 13 August 1990 | 25 September 1991 | AZhM | Chairmen of the Council of Ministers |

### Armenia (1991–present)

NDU (1)       PANM (1)       RPA (7)       Civil Contract (1) :
| No. | Name (Birth–Death) | Portrait | Political party | Term of office | Term of office | Election (Parliament) | Government | Government |
| No. | Name (Birth–Death) | Portrait | Political party | Term of office | Term of office | Election (Parliament) | No. | Composition |
| 1 | Vazgen Manukyan (born 1946) | | PANM | 13 August 1990 | 25 September 1991 (Independence) | 1990 | 1st | Independents • PANM |
| | Vazgen Manukyan (born 1946) | | NDU | 25 September 1991 (Independence) | 22 November 1991 | 1990 | 1st | Independents • PANM • NDU |
| 2 | Gagik Harutyunyan (born 1948) | | Independent | 22 November 1991 | 30 July 1992 | 1990 | 2nd | Independents • PANM |
| 3 | Khosrov Harutyunyan (born 1948) | | Independent | 30 July 1992 | 2 February 1993 | 1990 | 3rd | Independents • PANM |
| 4 | Hrant Bagratyan (born 1958) | | PANM | 2 February 1993 | 26 July 1995 | 1990 | 4th | Independents • PANM |
| 4 | Hrant Bagratyan (born 1958) | | PANM | 26 July 1995 | 4 November 1996 | 1995 | 5th | PANM • RPA |
| 5 | Armen Sarkissian (born 1952) | | Independent | 4 November 1996 | 20 March 1997 | 1995 | 6th | PANM • RPA |
| 6 | Robert Kocharyan (born 1954) | | Independent | 20 March 1997 | 10 April 1998 | 1995 | 7th | RPA • ARF |
| 7 | Armen Darbinyan (born 1964) | | Independent | 10 April 1998 | 11 June 1999 | 1995 | 8th | RPA • ARF • ACP |
| 8 | Vazgen Sargsyan (1959–1999) | | RPA | 11 June 1999 | 27 October 1999 | 1999 | 9th | RPA • PPA • ARF |
| 9 | Aram Sargsyan (born 1961) | | RPA | 3 November 1999 | 2 May 2000 | 1999 | 10th | RPA • PPA • ARF |
| 10 | Andranik Margaryan (1951–2007) | | RPA | 2 May 2000 | 25 May 2003 | 1999 | 11th | RPA • PPA • ARF • Heritage |
| 10 | Andranik Margaryan (1951–2007) | | RPA | 25 May 2003 | 25 March 2007 (Died in office) | 2003 | 12th | RPA • ARF • Heritage |
| — | Serzh Sargsyan (born 1954) | | RPA | 25 March 2007 | 4 April 2007 | 2003 | 12th | RPA • ARF • Heritage |
| 11 | Serzh Sargsyan (born 1954) | | RPA | 4 April 2007 | 7 April 2008 | 2003 | 13th | RPA • ARF • Heritage |
| 12 | Tigran Sargsyan (born 1960) | | RPA | 9 April 2008 | 6 May 2012 | 2007 | 14th | RPA • ARF • OEK • PAP |
| 12 | Tigran Sargsyan (born 1960) | | RPA | 6 May 2012 | 19 April 2013 | 2012 | 15th | RPA • OEK |
| 12 | Tigran Sargsyan (born 1960) | | RPA | 19 April 2013 | 13 April 2014 | 2012 | 16th | RPA • OEK |
| 13 | Hovik Abrahamyan (born 1959) | | RPA | 13 April 2014 | 8 September 2016 | 2012 | 17th | RPA • OEK • ARF |
| 14 | Karen Karapetyan (born 1963) | | RPA | 13 September 2016 | 18 May 2017 | 2012 | 18th | RPA • ARF |
| 14 | Karen Karapetyan (born 1963) | | RPA | 18 May 2017 | 17 April 2018 | 2017 | 19th | RPA • ARF |
| 15 | Serzh Sargsyan (born 1954) | | RPA | 17 April 2018 | 23 April 2018 | 2017 | 20th | RPA • ARF |
| — | Karen Karapetyan (born 1963) | | RPA | 23 April 2018 | 8 May 2018 | 2017 | 20th | RPA • ARF |
| | Nikol Pashinyan (born 1975) | | Yelk Civil Contract | 8 May 2018 | 14 January 2019 | 2017 | 21st | Yelk • Tsarukyan Alliance • ARF |
| 16 | Nikol Pashinyan (born 1975) | | My Step Civil Contract | 14 January 2019 | 2 August 2021 | 2018 | 22nd | Civil Contract • Mission • Hanrapetutyun |
| | Nikol Pashinyan (born 1975) | | Civil Contract | 2 August 2021 | Incumbent | 2021 | 23rd | Civil Contract |