Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan says that President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko had to stay within the limits of political correctness in his statements about Armenia. Nevertheless, he said what others think about Armenia.

“You can have different opinions about Lukashenko, but one thing is clear: he always speaks his mind,” he told a news conference on Thursday.

“Naturally, the head of state does not always have to say what he thinks, but he does. However, I don’t understand the tough reactions caused by Lukashenko’s remarks,” Kocharyan said.

According to him, Lukashenka’s remarks can by no means be compared to the Azerbaijani president’s statements, which have received no response from Armenia.

“Of course, the Belarusian president should not have spoken in such a tone and had to stay within the limits of correctness. But we also have to realize that he has said what others think about Armenia. In the meantime, the authorities are doing everything possible to make such an attitude towards Armenia even more entrenched, or they are doing nothing to make the leaders of other countries to change their opinion,” he noted.

In a recent interview with Russian journalist Vladimir Solovyov, Lukashenko said the Union State of Russia and Belarus should expand and include most of the ex-Soviet states, including Armenia.

“Armenia has nowhere to run. Do you think anyone needs them? They have already seen it,” he said.