Even Armenians Don't Know Themselves That Well: Pashinyan on Russian Bloggers

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan today, in response to a question from an Armenian residing in Belgium regarding the influence of the Russian language and culture in our country, stated, "One cannot deny the immense influence of Russian culture on the modern world."

"There can be all sorts of political attitudes towards Russia, but I find it impossible to deny the enormous and significant role of Russian culture in the modern world and civilization in general," Pashinyan noted.

According to Pashinyan, it is certainly possible to have one's own opinion and to question everything. However, it is also illegitimate to doubt, for instance, the significant contributions of dozens, if not hundreds, of names in the fields of culture, politics, and science, such as Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich.

Pashinyan recalled his previous statement that he cannot imagine any official language in Armenia other than Armenian. However, the Prime Minister also urged all students and young people to learn as many foreign languages as possible, including Russian.

As for those arriving from Russia, Pashinyan remarked that people are very happy with their presence in Armenia. "The people who come here are bloggers and share their impressions about Armenia. I watched a few of their materials. And I have given a relevant assignment to the Public Relations and Information Center to study their impressions," said the Prime Minister. He noted that even Armenians do not know themselves that well. Russians observe what Armenians see as ordinary and familiar.