‘Tragic Outcome’: Zatuliny on Vardanyan’s Dismissal

The First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma's Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration, and Relations with Compatriots, Konstantin Zatuliny, linked the resignation of former Artsakh Prime Minister Ruben Vardanyan to pressure from the Azerbaijani side in an interview with the ‘Govorit Moskva’ radio station.

“Of course, I assess this as a consequence of the pressure exerted primarily by Azerbaijan not only on Ruben Vardanyan and Nagorno-Karabakh but also on the Armenian side. I feel great sorrow because Vardanyan's presence was important as it inspired hope in the suffering population of Nagorno-Karabakh that they would not be abandoned. He ignited those hopes, and his resignation will certainly damage that and encourage many to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, abandoning the land of their ancestors. This is a tragic outcome, and it is not the first in the history of the Armenian people. He probably should have weighed all the issues before accepting this position. Apparently, he underestimated the pressure applied to him,” Zatuliny stated.

It should be noted that today Ruben Vardanyan was relieved of his duties as Prime Minister.