On April 14, Ruben Rubinyan, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, stated that he expects public support for measures requiring media outlets and journalists funded by oligarchs to disclose their financial sources. “I’m confident that the people will give us a mandate to force media outlets and journalists who are subsidized by various oligarchs to disclose their financial sources,” Rubinyan stated, adding that he intends to continue targeting media organizations that lack transparency. “All media outlets that don’t provide transparent information about their financial sources will be my targets,” he emphasized.
Addressing speculation about a possible increase in gas prices, Rubinyan stated that such claims are not based on signals from Russia. He argued that certain Armenian political forces and affiliated media outlets are promoting this narrative to suggest the existence of economic tensions between Armenia and Russia. “Do you mean that Russia should default on its obligations? Commit hostile actions? For what?” he stated.
Rubinyan described these claims as a “bubble,” asserting that they are being artificially inflated for political purposes. “And I know why they’re inflating it. Because the Kaluga oligarch [Samvel Karapetyan] plans to make this part of a political campaign,” he noted, expressing confidence that such efforts would not succeed.
He further emphasized that discussions currently taking place with Russia are not new and have occurred in previous years without leading to serious consequences. “As you can see, nothing catastrophic has happened. Russia is a friendly country, we continue our friendly relations and discuss issues in a friendly atmosphere. Naturally, we won’t agree on everything,” Rubinyan stated.
According to Rubinyan, Armenia’s stance on the railway issue remains unchanged, stressing that the country does not intend to act behind Russia’s back. He added that while Yerevan seeks to avoid escalating tensions, it continues to address specific issues through ongoing dialogue.
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