Pashinyan denies reports of alleged business interests

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has denied that he or his family has any involvement in business or any business interests.

He was asked to comment on media reports alleging that businessman Narek Nalbandyan has ties to his family.

“If there is someone in Armenia’s economic sphere who has been getting on my nerves and, in general, our family’s nerves beyond all tolerable limits, it is Narek Nalbandyan. I have instructed law enforcement agencies to initiate proceedings, and if we obtain any evidence that any businessman, including Narek Nalbandyan, is trying to create the impression that he has any connection with our family, I assure you that our response will be very harsh. I do not know whether you [the media] are creating that impression or he is trying to create it through you, but I say again, even if there is a little justification that he is trying to create the impression that he has a connection with my family, the response will be very harsh.

It is surprising to me why he does not deny it whenever such a report is published. This is extremely irritating to us, and if there are sufficient grounds, I assure you that Narek Nalbandyan will face a harsher fate than the other oligarchs have faced. My family is not involved in any business and does not have any stake, formal or informal, anywhere. I warn all businesspeople: whoever tries, by winking, I don't know, doing something, or remaining silent, to create the impression that they have a connection with our family, there will be a harsh, disproportionate response from us. Let us put this on record once and for all. Our family is not involved in any business, our family has no business interests,” the Armenian prime minister said.