Armenian opposition MPs boycott speaker-led official trips

The opposition Hayastan faction has officially declined to participate in official trips led by National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan, citing his recent controversial remarks.

In a letter to Simonyan, Hayastan faction leader Seyran Ohanyan stated that the faction members would no longer join delegations headed by him. Its secretary Artsvik Minasyan further explained that Simonyan's "anti-state and anti-Armenian" statements were deemed unacceptable, leading to their decision to distance themselves from his official delegations.

Commenting on the matter on Friday, David Arakelyan, Chief of Staff and Secretary General of the National Assembly, noted that while travel proposals are presented to MPs in advance, the Hayastan faction has consistently declined participation.