If Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan asks, Russia will raise the price of natural gas in Armenia; and if he doesn’t, it won’t, opposition Strong Armenia Party chairman, businessman, and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan told reporters Thursday .

“We’ll see,” Karapetyan added.

Reflecting on the reasons for his arrest, in particular the defense’s statement that it was Azerbaijan’s demand, the opposition politician suggested looking for the reasons “in Pashinyan’s head,” adding that Pashinyan himself should be in the defendant’s chair, taking into account how many misfortunes he has caused.

To the remark that Pashinyan assures that he has not accumulated any wealth and assets through honest work during his tenure as prime minister, Karapetyan responded with irony: “I doubt [it]. If a person talks a lot, it means he has a lot.”

He explained the premier’s latest attacks and statements as “another escalation,” and he treated Pashinyan’s threats to “snatch everything” almost humorously. “Who is the prime minister? He has stolen votes again in order to stay in the chair [of office] longer. Opposition leaders will be released from prison, while those who should sit will sit [in prison].”

According to him, Pashinyan’s concept of “real Armenia” boils down to not having a Homeland.

“We will do everything so that he cannot advance that ideology,” Karapetyan promised, assuring that everything necessary will be done, and he will be the next prime minister of Armenia.

And when asked to explain his plans to build a tourist center in Tigranashen village, Samvel Karapetyan said that he will do everything so that the authorities’ hands do not reach Tigranashen—as the Armenian authorities’ plans regarding this rural community include “returning” it to Azerbaijan.