Announcement. Ambassador Volinkin must be alert and vigilant to comprehend and respect the Constitution of the RA

Mr. Volinkin, the Russian Federation Ambassador to Armenia, declared a “persona non grata”[1] by Georgian authorities and exiled from the country for carrying out intelligence activities against their state, made the following statement during an interview with the “Noyev Kovcheg” periodical: “I believe that Russia should remind of its own presence in Armenian informational sphere. There’s no doubt about it. However, additional methods should also be used in order to neutralize the NGOs which are striving to drive a wedge between the Russian-Armenian relations. Russia, in fact, has adopted a law that clearly regulates the NGO activity. The outcome is quite obvious: those who have targeted their activities against the Armenian-Russian friendship don’t wish prosperity either to Russia or Armenia.”[2] Earlier on April 12, 2014 in Yerevan Volinkin himself announced that Russia would prevent any aggressive intervention in the home affairs of its ally states to be implemented under the “pretext of disseminating ideas that are alien to our minds and hearts.”[3] These evaluations have not received a proper response by the RA authorities so far.

We consider such kind of statements a violation of diplomatic norms, as well as gross interference in the home affairs of Armenia and a regular attempt to attack the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia. Ambassador Volinkin must be alert and vigilant to comprehend and respect the Constitution of the RA and realize that Armenia is a sovereign and a democratic state, governed by the rule of law. Volinkin thus abuses his authority by coming up with such statements. We demand that the RA Government attend to the behavior of the RF Ambassador Volinkin by ensuring that he is either removed from office or makes a proper apology to the citizens of Armenia.

Meanwhile, by declaring that there are no NGOs in Armenia that undertake activities against the Armenian-Russian friendship, we’d recommend that Ambassador Volinkin organize such a witch hunt beyond the Republic of Armenia.

1. Journalists’ Club Asparez
2. Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office
3. Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center
4. Open Society Foundations – Armenia
5. Collaboration for Democracy NGO
6. “We Plus” Social NGO
7. Arena of Educational NGO
8. Goefon
9. Dialogue for Peace
10. Rights Informational Center
11. Human Rights and Conflicts Research Institute
12. Hayk Nazaryan
13. Hasmik Knyazyan
14. New Generation NGO
15. Guarantee Center of Civil Society
16. David Shahnazaryan
17. Shirak Center
18. Public Journalism Club
19. Gevorg Ter-Gabrielyan
20. Vanadzor and Twinning Cities
21. Civic initiative center Free Citizen
22. Victims of State Needs
23. Ara Nedolyan
24. “Development of Gyumri”
25. Vahagn Antonyan
26. Women’s Resource Center
27. Goris Press Club
28. Women’s Support Center
29. Helsinki Committee of Armenia
30. Armenian Constitutional Rights Protection Center
31. Civic Forum
32. SKIL Foundation
33. Public Information and Need of Knowledge
34. Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation
35. National Citizens’ Initiative
36. “Khoran Ard” Intellectual Center
37. Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression
38. “EcoLur” Informational NGO
39. Urban Foundation
40. «Trtu» NGO
41. Regional Studies Center
42. Naira Arakelyan
43. “Hay Dzmer Pap” Charitable Trust
44. Ashot Hovhannisyan
45. Real World, Real People
46. Institute for Democracy and Human Rights
47. Arpine Ginosyan
48. Ruben Mehrabyan
49. National Association of Art Critics
50. Zara Hovhannisyan
51. Artak Yeghiazaryan
52. Menua Brutyan
53. Anna Shahnazaryan
54. «Srbazan hox»NGO
55. Boris Navadrdyan
56.  Elina Poghosbekyan

Organizations, unions and civil initiatives sharing this opinion are welcome to join the announcement.

[1]apsny.ge/news/1194650751.php

[2]https://noev-kovcheg.ru/mag/2014-08/4466.html#ixzz311CATmZL

[3]https://soyuzinfo.am/arm/news/detail.php?ELEMENT_ID=1053