If I Were to Meet Alen Simonian, I Would Meet in Yerevan and Discuss What I Want, Vanetsyan Says About Traveling to the US with Simonian

The news outlet "Hraparak" reports that Artur Vanetsyan, the leader of the "Honorary Title" faction in the National Assembly, instead of heading to the US as part of the delegation led by Alen Simonian, came to Parliament to participate in the first session of this year's work. Vanetsyan did not go to the US because, at the last moment, he discovered that he was not included in the delegation meeting with the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.

Prior to this, however, there had been an uproar online that Vanetsyan, being a current or former friend of Alen Simonian, would be going to the US with him, and who knows, they might even be on the same plane, where, perhaps, Vanetsyan would start cooperating with the authorities, and so on. He did not leave now because it turned out that his "friend" Alen Simonian had excluded him from the most important meeting at the last minute.

In response to these observations from Hraparak.am, Vanetsyan stated in an interview with the media today: "Those are false claims, absurd things that I would have gone to America to meet Alen Simonian, to reach some secret, conspiratorial agreement. If I were to meet Alen Simonian, I would meet in Yerevan and discuss what I want."

Vanetsyan added that he had agreed to go to the US to meet with Nancy Pelosi, where he would present their views on the events taking place in Armenia, both in terms of foreign and internal policy.

"When the authorities go to meetings with international partners, they always present their view, and there is no opposing view presented. And perhaps that is one of the reasons why, recently, those organizations that have constantly criticized the former authorities of the Republic of Armenia for the violation of democratic values are now silent, because, if you remember, the same Nikol Pashinyan never missed an opportunity to raise the events happening in Armenia in international forums, whether true or false. Now to say that we will not go anywhere with anyone... believe me, the opposition MPs in the National Assembly cannot isolate themselves and have no connection or communication with the parliamentary representatives of the authorities," said Artur Vanetsyan.