Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan is expected to visit the US in September, and where he will deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly, First Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told the Voice of America Armenian Service.

“In all likelihood, at that time there will be bilateral meetings with American associates,” he added.

When asked whether Armenia’s ally Russia could have encouraged that Armenia select the European model—human rights, freedoms, and formation of a civil society—of internal governance, the first deputy PM responded as follows, in particular: “(…) those are universal values. (…) but who says that those values should be imported to Armenia from Washington or Moscow or the capital city of Madagascar? These are genuine values for the Armenian people. (…). Here, we [Armenia] have received no instruction from any partner—I mean our western partners, nor is there a need for permission from any other partners—I mean our northern partner [Russia].”

Mirzoyan noted that Armenia respects its partners, and the latter, for their part, respect Armenia’s sovereignty and independence.

“To determine how to live is the exclusive right of the people of Armenia,” he stressed.