YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Deputy FM Shavarsh Kocharyan reflected on Polish Ambassador Zdzisław Raczyński’s recent interview with a capital city Yerevan daily. In the interview, the Ambassador described the Armenian nation’s dream of having a safe and secure Armenia as a “myth,”  and also spoke about the “climate of impunity” in Armenia.    

“When expressing a view with respect to the developments that are unrolling in the country where he is accredited, [and] to the domestic and foreign policy of that country, any diplomat—especially, an ambassador—should not exceed the limits of diplomatic ethics, [since] this could cast a shadow upon the mission of the very ambassador, as the person responsible for contributing to the development of friendly relations between two countries,” Kocharyan stated. 

To note, reflecting on the assassination attempt against Armenia’s presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan—who is recovering at hospital from a gunshot wound—, the Polish ambassador specifically had said as follows: 

“Everyone says it is an assassination attempt against the [Armenian] state; [and] it is, to some extent. I also agree that this ‘strikes a blow’ to the standing of the authorities. Because, first and foremost, this destroys the myth of a safe and secure Armenia, and this impacts the assessment of the [presidential] election [to be held on February 18]. But even if this [assassination attempt] was not politically motivated, the result will be political. 

Second, it seems to me that although such things could occur in any country, this [shooting] was possible because the climate of impunity has not ceased to exist in Armenia.”