MP Achemyan says PM candidate Pashinyan gently supports leadership’s position on foreign policy

Karine Achemyan, MP of the Republican Party (RPA) faction of the Armenian Parliament, thinks that Yelk faction head, PM candidate Nikol Pashinyan gently supports the position of the leadership on the foreign policy.

During the parliamentary debate of the election of the Prime Minister on May 1, MP Achemyan addressed question to Pashinyan whether it is not supposed that Pashinyan will completely change his stance on all issues relating to domestic policy and economy.

“The next question: during these years, how do you think, whether this favorable environment – civil society, free press, democracy where you managed to record a certain success, has been created thanks to the tolerance of the leadership? Because eventually during these years our country became democratic and all democratic structures that operate are thanks to the leadership”, she said.

She also said Pashinyan’s supporters issued statements, demands on firing the presidents of the Constitutional Court, the Court of Cassation, the Prosecutor General. Achemyan asked Pashinyan how he is going to do that if elected?

In response Pashinyan said he has repeatedly stated previously that he considers the drastic turns in the foreign policy field as dangerous and impermissible.

“We have seen that some countries, figures, by trying to make their subjective perceptions in accordance with the ongoing events in the country, led to disaster. I don’t say that I voted in favor of Armenia’s membership to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), I say that Armenia’s membership to the EAEU is a reality, and it is necessary to take into account this reality. The talk is about considering the country’s interests”, Nikol Pashinyan said.

Commenting on Achemyan’s question on formation of favorable environment in the country by the leadership, Nikol Pashinyan said the Armenian citizen has a great contribution in this.

“What the citizen of Armenia has is thanks exclusively to him/her because since independence the Armenian citizens, activists have liberated the territory they have from the clutches of illegality. During that period dozens of Armenian citizens have been killed, hundreds of citizens were jailed”, he said.

In response MP Achemyan said they already live in a parliamentary country, and the burden of responsibility Pashinyan is going to bear is very great. Achemyan asked whether Pashinyan is confident that he can bear that burden.

Pashinyan said in general he doesn’t start a work if he is not convinced on reaching it up to the end.