Media expert Samvel Martirosyan has noticed that the new authorities give too much importance to negative assessments addressed to them on social networks and spend excessive efforts to give “adequate counterattacks” on the same platform. We can mainly agree with this observation, perhaps, by adding that in this case, as in any case, it is necessary to manifest a differentiated approach. Let me explain what I mean by the example of the First Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan’s visit.
The “yellow”, “tabloid”, or unserious comments of this visit either should not be answered at all or if those disturb the Deputy Prime Minister too much, those can be responded only once by the Press Secretary by giving brief and solid answers to concerning questions. It should not be done personally, moreover, there is no need to mobilize the Facebook “punitive brigade” of new government fans. Otherwise, it turns out that the government is involved in serious Facebook fights with any user.
Of course, the professional criticisms on the visit should also not be responded, moreover, be attacked: this kind of criticism should be kept in mind, not to have such shortcomings the next time anymore.
That is, visiting any country next time will require a deeper study of the state and political system of the given country, the mechanism of decision-making, and also a deeper calculation of sending a more or less equivalent official to the head of the delegation. This whole work cannot be done by the Deputy Prime Minister or any other high-ranking official alone, it should be done by the staff, and with the support of the Foreign Ministry, as well as of independent expert circles.
Of course, I am not an expert, but with purely journalistic experience, I can say that our government has gained a considerable amount of experience in 26 years to cooperate with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. We have no such experience in cooperation with the EU and the United States yet. Now, after the revolution, there are really good opportunities to work effectively in those directions. However, I think, those will differ from the relations with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. In addition, I think, probably, it is possible to develop a larger-scale and more ambitious projects.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
