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US Ambassador's Tweets More Worrying than Russian Ambassador's Remarks
on Karabakh: Minister
05.08.2014 16:44 epress.am
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.
http://www.epress.am/en/2014/05/08/us-ambassadors-tweet-more-worrying-than-russian-ambassadors-remarks-on-karabakh-minister.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tXAvdwmS6M
on Karabakh: Minister
05.08.2014 16:44 epress.am
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.
http://www.epress.am/en/2014/05/08/us-ambassadors-tweet-more-worrying-than-russian-ambassadors-remarks-on-karabakh-minister.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tXAvdwmS6M