I Regret Stepping Outside the Bounds of Correct Language: Hakob Karapetyan

The press secretary of Yerevan's mayor, Hakob Karapetyan, made a post on his Facebook page expressing regret over an inappropriate comment he made under a post by one of his Facebook friends the previous day.

“A phrase I used the day before has become a topic of discussion in the media and online. It referred to the proposal to restrict traffic speeds to avoid human casualties resulting from road incidents. To clarify the context, I am quoting the important part of the discussion in the pictures, where I emphasized that the most critical argument for reducing speed is the fact that it saves lives, and all other arguments regarding traffic jams and inconvenience become secondary,” he wrote. “I regret that this part has been omitted from most of the media reports on the topic. Nevertheless, I believe that in any case of public discussions, one should strive to remain within the bounds of correct language. I regret that I stepped outside those bounds during the aforementioned discussion. The emotional outburst was solely due to the vital importance of the issue and never a lack of respect for my opposition.”

“I am doubly sorry if the contentious expression affected the substantive discussion because the mayor's proposal was meant to initiate such a discussion. I maintain an unwavering belief that ensuring the safety and health of people on the roads of Armenia, especially in Yerevan, is one of our most crucial and urgent issues needing resolution. If there is any measure that can reduce the enormous number of casualties from road traffic accidents by even one percent, we must discuss it, focusing on that goal.”

“In Armenia, about 250 people die each year due to road accidents. We are among the 'leaders' in Europe with this statistic. It is an awful figure. We must seriously think about this,” Karapetyan concluded.