Interior Minister on Karapetyan’s Nomination for Prime Minister

Combining the interests of different countries in the position of Prime Minister is something I cannot envision. This was stated by Interior Minister Arpine Sarkisyan during a press conference, addressing the observation that the Prime Minister candidate from the 'Strong Armenia' party holds citizenship in several countries but is running for Prime Minister in Armenia.

'Our citizenship institution is deformed, and we see the results of such deformations in practice. I am not against the institution of dual citizenship; we will continue to uphold it. However, especially in cases of constitutional positions and the role of Prime Minister, I simply cannot comprehend a situation where a citizen of several countries can be nominated as Prime Minister of Armenia. Generally, I envision a candidate for Prime Minister whose center of interest is solely Armenia. Holding citizenship in multiple countries implies that we must consider that this citizenship is not an artificial phenomenon, it is not just a passport, it is not just a piece of paper. By acquiring citizenship, you swear to be loyal to that state and dedicate yourself to it. Therefore, being a citizen of multiple countries makes it a bit difficult for me to see which country's vital interests that citizen should prioritize,' said Interior Minister Arpine Sarkisyan.

Additionally, it should be noted that the day before, Narek Karapetyan, coordinator of the 'Our Way' movement, announced that the Prime Minister candidate from the 'Strong Armenia' party is Samvel Karapetyan.