Epress.am News from Armenia
Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volynkin (pictured, left) is free in his activities, RA Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Manasaryan told the press after today's cabinet meeting. The ambassador had stated that Russia should be more active in asserting its presence in the information field here in Armenia. “But other methods are also apparently needed for neutralizing those NGOs in Armenia that want to drive a wedge into Russian-Armenian relations. In Russia, by the way, a law was adopted that quite specifically regulates the activities of NGOs," Ambassador Volynkin had said in an interview with Russian-language newspaper Noev Kovcheg.
Manasaryan found it difficult to provide an assessment of the ambassador's remarks. "If we are talking about organizations operating in Armenia, I don't think that [an opinion] will be regarded as interference. The ambassador expressed his opinion and got his answer," he said.
RA Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan, however, is concerned more about US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern's (pictured, right) statement than Russian Ambassador Ivan Volynkin's remarks. On Twitter, Ambassador Heffern cited excerpts from OSCE Minsk Group US Co-Chair, Ambassador James Warlick's speech on settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
"Particularly after Minsk Group Co-Chair Warlick's complete statement, to tweet only the part that refers to territories enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, I have to say, should have caused no less, if not more vehement reactions.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs [already] responded to the Russian ambassador's interview, and I too am of the opinion that non-governmental organizations in the Republic of Armenia are gradually having a greater role. The bulk of them is pro-state and pro-Armenia. Clearly there are organizations that are guided by the principle of 'he who pays the piper calls the tune,' but at the moment I know of no NGO operating in Armenia in violation of the legislative field.
"No one can drive a wedge between the peoples of Armenia and Russia.
"As for the last statement of the American side, I will give my personal opinion: I think the number one task for the Armenian authorities and opposition today should be not to allow Armenia, especially the Karabakh conflict, become a new hotbed of global geopolitical struggle, and we shouldn't allow the current aggravated stage of relations between Russia and the US, Russia and the West over Ukraine to extend to Karabakh," said the education minister.