Armenian PMs resented RA Premier Tigran Sargsyan’s statement that the Armenian Government “is only responsible for the three million citizens of the country.”

Addressing the Premier in Parliament, Artyusha Shahbazyan, Secretary of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) faction, designed statements like that as “impermissible”, especially in the context of Ankara’s “persuasions” to ignore the Diaspora’s opinion. He also regards as unacceptable Yerevan’s silence over Ankara’s aggressive rhetoric.

Responding to the accusations, the Premier reminded the parliamentarians of the new concepts implemented by RA President Serzh Sargsyan. It is under the new concepts that the Ministry of Diaspora was established in Armenia. The Government worked out a concept of the Armenian World, with not only Armenia, but also Javakhk (a Georgian region with a dense Armenian population) and Nagorno-Karabakh being components thereof. “So the accusations against the Government are groundless,” the Premier said. It is natural that different components of the Armenian World should have different interests.

According to the Armenian Premier, only a small, “politicized” part of the Armenian Diaspora is against the Armenian-Turkish protocols — they disagree with the Armenian leaders at this point. “The Republic of Armenia is the locomotive of the Armenian World, and it is responsible for the whole Armenian World and I, as Armenian Premier, as well,” said Tigran Sargsyan.

As regards “Yerevan’s silence over Ankara’s aggressive rhetoric,” the Premier said: “I do not think it is right to respond to all the statements made by official Ankara – it will weaken our positions. Our ideological positions are very strong.”

A. Shahbazyan was not satisfied with the Premier’s answer. “Armenia and the Diaspora cannot have different interests. Our common interests are building up a strong, independent and united Armenia!” he exclaimed.