YEREVAN. – US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills recently urged head of the Armenia-US parliamentary friendship group and Vice President of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, Hermine Naghdalyan, to step down as head of this group, reported Zhoghovurd daily.

“According to this news, the ambassador told Naghdalyan that given the fact that she is a member in the Russian ‘Griboyedov’ Club, she cannot head the Armenia-US friendship group. And Hermine Naghdalyan followed the ambassador’s recommendation and submitted her [respective] resignation.

“According to our sources, RPA [i.e. ruling Republican Party of Armenia] NA Faction member [and NA ex-speaker] Samvel Nikoyan was appointed head of this friendship group. Moreover, he was quite excited by this appointment, and he organized a ‘banquet,’ especially for this occasion, for members of the Armenia-US friendship group, and Ambassador Richard Mills was also invited to it,” wrote Zhoghovurd.