Armenian pro-opposition MPs refuse to visit Ankara for regional economic meeting

Armenian opposition MPs have refused to travel with ruling Civil Contract party MPs to Ankara for a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organisation (PABSEC).

Babken Tunyan, deputy chairman of the Armenian parliament's economic affairs committee and a Civil Contract member, made the remarks in response to a statement by Gegham Manukyan, a member of the Armenia faction, Caliber.Az reports quoting Armenian media.

Before that, Manukyan asked Vice Speaker Hakob Arshakyan the question of why the talks between Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov (which took place with the mediation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on May 1) were also attended by Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Ruben Rubinyan, special representative for Armenian-Turkish negotiations. It is not clear why the Armenian-Turkish relations are associated with the Armenian-Azerbaijani ones, and it is not clear whether the Armenian side agrees with this, Manukyan added.

Tunyan responded to this by saying that an Armenian delegation was going to Ankara for a PABSEC meeting on May 4.

It remains to ask the Armenian opposition delegates why they are not coming, Tunyan added.

"This is a very complex organisation, with a complex agenda, and a lot of issues are needed to be dealt with. Come and help promote our country's position. This is directly related to your official duties," Tunyan said.