YEREVAN. – Yes, Mr. Prime Minister is right; there is no need to protect the business. But most importantly, there must be acquaintances, connections, trust, faith, friendship, circles, because any project and investment is made at the roundtable of acquaintance and trust. Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Chairman, head of its National Assembly (NA) faction, and tycoon Gagik Tsarukyan on Tuesday told this to reporters in parliament.

Asked whether it is possible that, in this situation, he might give up his parliamentary seat in order to end the unnecessary rumors, or whether NA Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan will accept his response and the matter will be considered closed, Tsarukyan responded as follows, in particular: “(…) all this [rumors] is baseless. In my answer and the legal and political answer is presented at a high level. Such conversations damage the state, the investment. There is nothing in this 15-day tension; it’s baseless. Everyone knows that Tsarukyan handed over his companies to management [by others].”

He added that this situation affects the fact that 18 investors who have an arrangement with him are now concerned that someone may “wake up” one day and make a groundless statement.

“It will affect the development of our [Armenia’s] economy, the investments. People already are worried about investing in this country or not,” the PAP leader stressed. “I want that there be investment in our country, that our country develop, flourish, and become a prosperous country.”

The “Citizen’s Decision” Social-Democratic Party had submitted a petition to NA President Ararat Mirzoyan and Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan to start a process of launching criminal proceedings against Gagik Tsarukyan and stripping him of his parliamentary mandate in connection with the statements he had made to reporters at the NA Sessions’ Hall and outside on April 19, and taking into account the ban on Armenian MPs’ engaging in entrepreneurial activities.

Mirzoyan responded to this petition, requested a respective public clarification from Tsarukyan, and the latter responded to this request.