On June 17, the NA Deputy Speaker, Hermine Naghdalyan, in her interview to Aravot, referring to the noise about the visit of Russian analyst and propagandist Dmitry Kiselyov (in the photo), in particular, the violation of the Law on “Language”, said the following, “In the Parliament, the requirements of the Law on “Language” are always implemented, and the presence of the interpreter during the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental meetings, and other meetings is mandatory, and even in the beginning of that meeting I also made a reference to it. And if someone wants to be called an advocate of national values, merely at the level of ensuring the presence of an interpreter, I must say that the interpreter was and will be provided in the previous, present and the coming sessions, because it is required by the law. I would like to clarify that neither in this meeting nor in previous ones they had requested for interpreting services, they expressed as it was convenient for them.” With this regard, “Aravot” asked the Chairman of the NA Committee on Education, Culture, and Youth Affairs, Artak Davtyan, whether the law on “Language” requires the presence of an interpreter at the meetings, or it requires a simultaneous translation. A. Davtyan answered the question as follows, “I share Mrs. Naghdalyan’s opinion that there was no violation of the Law on “Language”, but it is more concerning that our Russian brothers and friends seems are not well-informed when they are coming to Armenia and are making this-or-that statement about Armenia and the Armenian language. I think that the Russian Embassy to Armenia has to do serious work. They also need to inform more or less well-known Russian figures to refrain from making such statements. Language was not given for what you have in your subconscious comes to the edge of your mouth and immediately out. Such expressions will not bring any positive results to Armenian-Russian friendship and the development of Russian, but the exact opposite, generates a counteraction. It is very difficult to imagine that any English speaking and French-speaking official or figure allows behaving like this Russian journalist did. Ultimately, the latter was not in “Rossia 2″ broadcasting pavilions, and the Armenians are not the Ukrainian nationalists, who according to Kiselyov have declared the Russian language as a language of the enemy. If such statements are made here, probably, prior to it, he has read Cervantes’s “Don Quixote”, and was trying to fight against some illusory windmills.” To our refute of whether they are losing their vigilance when a simultaneous translation is always provided for English-speaking or French-speaking delegations, and maybe our excessive “hospitality” towards the Russian-speaking guests when we communicate without an interpreter, leaves such an effect, and maybe instead of giving advice to the Russian Embassy, we would begin from ourselves and not be excessively hospitable and provide simultaneous translation pursuant to the law, Artak Davtyan replied, “I think that the mission of any embassy is to strengthen friendly ties. Naturally, when we talk about those statements, a long time and great efforts must be made to overcome the consequences thereof, because regardless of anything, when it comes to your national dignity, which is hurt, it is very difficult to psychologically overcome this barrier. As for the translation, the fact that communication was in Russian language, without translation, it already means that the issue raised is fake, artificial, such an issue does not exist, the lack of knowledge of Russian, otherwise a format would be provided. Secondly, we are a hosting party and, naturally, we want our guests to feel more comfortable.”
Melania BARSEGHYAN
