Aravot asked former Minister of Diaspora and parliament deputy Mkhitar Hayrapetyan about how the media is criticizing him for bringing his classmates into parliament, especially since the Republican Party used to bring their brothers-in-law into parliament. Mkhitar Hayrapetyan’s classmates, Gevorg Petrosyan and Vagharshak Hakobyan, both ran for deputy. Hakobyan received a mandate. Hayrapetyan responded, “If, when you refer to classmates, you mean two people, then I must tell you that Vagharshak Hakobyan, like myself, was elected according to the rating system in the Kotayk region. He did not have a high place on the proportional list; he was in 176th place if I’m not mistaken. It is due to his campaign and 8 months of work that more than 4,000 citizens trusted him with their vote, and it is solely because of that that Vagharshak Hakobyan is in parliament. You know that I ran in the 1st district and also received the trust of citizens according to the rating system. This means that the work we did is appreciated by a portion of society.”
He was also asked about how Catholicos Aram I voiced his worries that the dissolvement of the Ministry of Diaspora would cause serious disapproval among Diasporan Armenians and whether Hayrapetyan shared that view. Mkhitar Hayrapetyan responded, “Not only Catholicos Aram I, but also many pan-Armenian organizations in the Diaspora, individuals, political parties, and founders have voiced such worries. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan responded that we are creating the type of model that will allow for us to not only uphold the work, but also to make our work with the Diaspora more effective. We also have our worries. It is important that the actions carried out by our ministry be upheld, and that they be inherited. It is our goal for us to understand and to create the type of model that will allow us to carry out work with the Diaspora in the best way possible.”
Hripsime Jebejyan
