Simonyan on Akhazaaryan's Statement: I Can Comment After Hearing the Entire Material

This is the personal opinion of Hovik Akhazaaryan, regarding which I can make a final comment only after hearing the entire material. This was stated today, March 31, during a conversation with reporters at the National Assembly by Vice Speaker Alen Simonyan, commenting on the statement made by the MP from the 'My Step' faction, Hovik Akhazaaryan, questioning what it matters to us if Turkey recognizes the Armenian Genocide.

Regarding Hovik Akhazaaryan's subsequent ambiguous statement asking if there is someone with the guts in Armenia who can tell the world that Kalbajar was ours, Alen Simonyan replied: 'I repeat, I can say something only after hearing the full material. Attempting to attribute this to the general needs of the government is futile, as you know what the official stance is and who expresses it. I will not allow you to exploit the interviews of 85 deputies for any manipulation.'

He added that he considers the entire region referred to as Armenian lands to be his homeland. 'My ancestors are from Kars, and I consider it my homeland.'

When asked why residents were promised asphalt during Nikol Pashinyan's visit to the Ararat region, an act for which they criticized previous governments, the Vice Speaker said: 'Because those whom we criticized apparently did not do that asphalt; they only did it before elections. The current authorities have done more asphalt in the last two years than previous governments did in 5-10 years.'

Regarding the visit, he remarked that it was another visit, and the Prime Minister has always engaged with citizens. 'Many criticized that the Prime Minister travels around Armenia with a police barrier, and then when he meets with the people, we find another way to exploit that. I am pleased with one thing; I have visited two provinces with the Prime Minister, and the people understand everything very well and provide their assessment. This is not the government that does asphalt only before elections.'

In response to a comment that this creates unequal conditions among political forces, Alen Simonyan noted that the government is currently in the most unequal situation. 'The government does not have the financial resources and opportunities that the opposition has today. The opposition is several times richer and more competitive in its strength and resources than the current ruling team. That is a fact.'