The international community does not take Armenia’s representatives’ seriously because of their “miserable looks”, Galust Sahakyan, Head of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) faction, told a press briefing, commenting on a new “acquisition” of RA Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan – a Volkswagen Touareg.

“We must properly appear before the international community,” Sahakyan said, without explaining how the new car can help the same Armen Ashotyan to “properly appear before the international community.”

He may have meant that, “to be taken seriously”, Minister Ashotyan, as well as other Armenian officials, must “appear before the international community” with their expensive cars in the background. It turns out that Armenian officials must be “accompanied” by their own cars during their business trips abroad at the taxpayers’ expense! Well, if this is the only way for Armenian officials to look “presentable”, Armenian taxpayers are ready to “sacrifice” for that.

Minister Ashotyan himself stated that the car, its cost being U.S. $70,000 and up, was presented to the RA Ministry of Education and Science by the Institute of Science. Quite the present, isn’t it? Especially amid the Government’s refusal to pay 5,000 AMD (about U.S. $13) to straight A students.