Armenian opposition leader criticizes president for thanking Aliyev in Davos

Armenian opposition leader Artur Vanetsyan on Tuesday criticized President Vahagn Khachaturyan for expressing gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during the World Economic Forum in Davos, calling the gesture “incomprehensible”.

Vanetsyan, a former head of Armenia’s National Security Service and current leader of the Homeland Party, spoke to reporters at the Yerablur Military Pantheon, where he laid flowers in tribute to soldiers killed defending the homeland on the first official remembrance day.

Asked why the president had thanked Aliyev, Vanetsyan replied that the question contained its own answer. “It is difficult to understand the conduct and mindset of these people—perhaps they should not be called human beings at all,” he said. “I regret that our country has ended up in this situation, but I hope it will be fixed soon.”