Armenia opposition leader meets Russian ambassador amid protests

PanARMENIAN.Net - The leader of the movement against the authorities, MP Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday, April 25 met Russian ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volynkin.

An opposition leader from Yelk bloc and the founder and head of Civil Contract party, Pashinyan leads the campaign against the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).

Prime minister Serzh Sargsyan was forced to resign on Monday, and Pashinyan is now seeking the appointment as prime minister by the National Assembly of what he calls “the people’s candidate,” the formation of a temporary government and snap parliamentary elections.

According to Pashinyan, the Russian side promised to not interfere in the events in Armenia, while he assured the Russian diplomat that "there is no single drop of anti-Russian sentiment in the campaign."

The movement is not directed "either against Russia, or the United States, or the European Union, or Iran, or Georgia," Pashinyan said, stressing that this is purely an internal "movement against corruption and ineffective governance."

The embassy said in a Facebook post that the Russian side called on the leaders of the campaign to engage in a constructive dialogue with the acting authorities and other political forces, stressing that “the situation should be resolved exclusively within the framework of the constitutional field and in the interests of all citizens of Armenia.”

Pashinyan and acting prime minister from the ruling party Karen Karapetyan were scheduled to meet on Wednesday, April 25 but the meeting was canceled. Pashinyan urged demonstrators to resume the rally, with the protesters paralyzing traffic on several major avenues and streets in Yerevan and gathering at the Republic Square again.

Later on Wednesday, the ruling Republican Party of Armenia declared it is ready to discuss any issue with all the parties.