Armenian parliament to elect president in March - report

FILE PHOTO: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attends an informal annual summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) heads of state in Strelna on the outskirts of Saint Petersburg, Russia December 28, 2021. Sputnik/Evgeny Biyatov/Kremlin via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Armenia's parliament will hold a vote in March to elect a new president, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was quoted as saying on Thursday, after the previous president, Armen Sarkissian, resigned last month.

The role of prime minister is seen as more powerful than that of president in the Caucasian nation of 3 million which is closely allied with Russia.

The ruling parliamentary majority has nominated Vahagn Khachaturyan, currently minister of high-tech industry, for presidency, the Interfax news agency reported.

(Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)