Category: 2018

The statement made by PAP candidate Naira Zohrabyan voiced during campaign is peculiar to “old Armenia” and has nothing to do in the “new Armenia”, acting Prime Minister, leader of My Step bloc Nikol Pashinyan said today in Abovian.

Zohrabyan called on people to give Gagik Tsarukyn an opportunity with their votes to continue making investments in Armenia.

“This statement does not reflect political and economic situation existing today in Armenia. In our vision votes and investments have nothing to do with each other,” he said, adding that if people are not MPs in parliament it does not mean they do not make investments.

“Ties between votes and investments existed in old Armenia when the 90% of parliament consisted of businessmen,” he said.

Pashinyan said that his government guarantees security of all investments irrespective of political views of investors.

“I thinks it is even not correct to ask votes for investments. We guarantee safety of investments of all, including the ones made by Gagik Tsarukyan,” Pashinyan stressed.

“ 95% of businessmen have not been nominated, does it mean they will not make investments?” Pashinyan stressed, adding that the businessmen must be free of political commitments.

Direct or indirect calls to review traditional for Armenia geopolitical priorities during this not calm period are really dangerous even if not brought to reality, Armenia’s second president Robert Kocharyan said at the Lazarev Club plenary session today in Yerevan.

“The Armenian-Russian relations need special care. IT and social networks create big opportunities for manipulating public moods, sow doubts and distrust among the people which will result in the erosion of our decades-long ties,” Kocharyan said.

He stressed that each friendship demands efforts, time, energy and emotions.

“Friendship has inertia but it cannot develop and be stable on its basis only. Friendship stops when concerns about the sincerity appear and when one of the parties want to get more than give. It is very difficult to be friend with constant beggars. Such relations are irritating,” Kocharyan said.

He stressed that friendly relations between countries is not just coincidence of interests it is a fusion of state interests and deep penetration of human factor in the relations of societies.

“I cannot find any other example of such relations like in case of Armenia and Russia. We have inherited them and we must exert efforts every day to maintain and develop them,” Kocharyan stated.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has commented on the recent visit of Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan to Moscow during a weekly briefing broadcast by RT.

She stressed that Sahakyan’s visit does not constitute a violation of the Russian law.

“That visit cannot be viewed other than a private one. The status of the visit is obvious. And it doesn’t contradict the Russian legislation in the very context of a private visit which has nothing to do with the international agreements or the Russian mediation mission in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement,” the top official said, commenting on an Azerbaijani reporter’s observation.

“The Azerbaijani side’s complaints addressed to Russia are groundless,” she said.

President Sahakyan visited Moscow on 24 November.

The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry released a statement on 25 November claiming that issuing an entry permit to Russia for Bako Sahakyan ‘is undermining the Karabakh conflict settlement efforts and Russia’s mediation mission.’

There is a certain pause in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict, Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, told reporters in Yerevan before the launch of the Lazarev Club’s first plenary session.

“I don’t know how much this is justified, but I think that senior politicians assess the fact that elections are pending in Armenia. But the Karabakh conflict settlement stands in line,” the Russian official, stressing the conflict resolution can no way be delayed too long.

Reflecting on the Armenian-Russian ties, Zatulin stressed that no one questions the allied relations between the two countries.

“You know that the leaders of our countries hold regular meetings and exchange views. It’s clear that what happened in Armenia, which is referred to as a revolution in the country, affected not only the domestic but also the foreign agenda,” he said.

Zatulin highlighted the Armenian-Russian cooperation in the defense and security sectors.

Separately, the top Russian official said he cannot make any predictions on the possible developments over the CSTO secretary general.

“As you know, the leaders of the CSTO member states will meet on December 6. It’s hard to predict what will happen on 6 December. Following the norms of ethics, I would not like to add fuel to the fire by saying who it would or wouldn’t be appropriate to appoint to the post,” he said.

Zatulin says the developments over the CSTO chief is not a standard situation, since it is not envisaged by the organization’s Charter.