On March 27, Arayik Harutyunyan, the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Armenia, addressed journalists during a briefing, commenting on constitutional reforms, regional developments, and Armenia’s foreign policy engagements.
“I’m not as pessimistic about this issue as the Prime Minister,” Harutyunyan stated, referring to Nikol Pashinyan’s remarks about holding another referendum if the new constitution is not adopted. He expressed confidence that the government and its political team would be able to effectively communicate the importance of the referendum to the public and secure support. “I think we should stick to Plan A, and there won’t be any problems… in all likelihood, we will go with this option,” he emphasized, while noting that ongoing outreach suggests alternative scenarios could also be viable.
Commenting on a proposal by former parliamentarian Hovik Agazaryan to amend the current constitution instead of adopting a new one, Harutyunyan declined to engage, stating: “I will not comment on Agazaryan… he, like his colleague Aslanyan, has crossed the boundaries of political decency and partnership.”
He also noted that the government’s campaign in the regions has been progressing more successfully than anticipated. Addressing the border demarcation process, Harutyunyan explained that discussions are ongoing at the level of deputy prime ministers, although no active work is currently taking place on the ground. “The pipeline passed through a certain area; it is being moved to a safer zone… everyone is doing their homework to achieve something,” he stated.
Regarding recent comments by Nikol Pashinyan about the TRIPP project not being a priority for Washington due to US military involvement, Harutyunyan noted that while military actions may dominate attention, cooperation in other areas continues. “The American side is working with Armenia,” he stated.
Touching on regional tensions, particularly around Iran, Harutyunyan refrained from making detailed forecasts but outlined the broader impact of instability. “What is happening in the region is creating additional tensions and problems for all neighboring countries,” he said, adding that such developments disrupt supply chains, affect economies, and can have varying consequences across countries. He warned that a prolonged crisis would inevitably affect Armenia as well, despite preparatory measures taken earlier.
https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/pashinyans-chief-of-staff-reassures-public-on-referendum-amid-regional-uncertainty.html
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