Video: The Plane Was Going to Depart Anyway, and It’s the Only Opportunity We Have to Connect: Anna Hakobyan

Anna Hakobyan, the wife of the Prime Minister, traveled to Brussels on the government aircraft accompanying her husband, as these visits provide an opportunity to connect with him. Their daughter, Mariam, also accompanied them for the same reason.

In an interview with Petros Ghazaryan on Public Television, Anna Hakobyan stated, "My visits have various significance and nature. Let me start with Brussels. There was no intention to hide. I want to inform you that I went to Brussels with my husband, boarded the plane with him, and disembarked from the plane with him. All those who accompanied him, who saw him off and welcomed him, saw that I was with him; thus, there was no issue of hiding. If my husband was traveling secretly, it means I was traveling secretly as well. It was not officially announced that I was with him because I was not part of the official delegation and did not accompany my husband officially."

Regarding why she traveled, Anna Hakobyan explained that such visits, although she is not part of the official delegation but can accompany her husband, represent the only opportunity for them to communicate.

To the question about the benefits of connecting, Anna Hakobyan noted, "Why is this the only opportunity we have to communicate? Because my husband leaves for work every day at 7:30 AM and, at best, returns home at 9:30-10:30 PM, or even later. Even if he returns at 9:30, he shuts himself in his office and starts working, resulting in weeks without communication for us. As for being part of the official delegation and traveling on that aircraft, that plane is going to Brussels anyway, and no one else would be sitting in the seat where I am sitting. When my husband travels to Brussels, a room is reserved for him there, and there are standards for heads of states that imply not just a high level but an unreasonably large room that can accommodate more than one family. I hope that the spot in that room where I would sleep is also left empty if I am not with my husband. Therefore, my travel and overnight stay do not add any extra expense to the budget. Instead, I can spend five hours on the plane with my husband, some of which he is still working during," she added.

Regarding their daughter Mariam’s trip to Brussels, Anna Hakobyan stated that their daughter joined them for the same reason and that a separate room was reserved for Mariam, which was paid for from personal funds.

She emphasized that in all cases when she is not officially accompanying her husband, it implies that no additional expenses have been incurred from the budget.