«Hraparak»: Nikol Pashinyan Went to Sisian for Rest and Also Visited a Military Unit

«Hraparak» newspaper reports: «On August 10, all media outlets received a notification from the Armenian government that 'Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the Defense Ministry's military unit N on August 10. The head of government toured the military unit, familiarized himself with the operational situation and the social-living conditions of the servicemen. Nikol Pashinyan also visited the dining hall, greeted servicemen who were having breakfast, and checked the menu, which corresponds to the new dietary regulations being implemented in the Armed Forces. The government leader rewarded a group of servicemen noted for their selfless service with gifts and wished them peaceful service.' However, we were struck by the fact that during the prime minister's visit to the military unit, neither Defense Minister David Tonoyan nor Chief of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan accompanied him. The presence of these officials is considered mandatory during visits to military units, especially when the visitor is the head of state. This is a protocol requirement. We were informed that the visit was spontaneous — Nikol Pashinyan went to Sisian for rest, in what is described as an unofficial visit, and suddenly decided to stop by the military unit to see how the guys were doing. He purchased gift bags on the way and entered the military unit. The defense minister and the chief of staff learned about this visit belatedly, post-factum.»