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“I don’t want to resemble anyone,” President of the Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR) Ara Abrahamyan told a press conference today when asked if he has studied political experience of Gagik Tsarukyan, ex-leader of Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP).

To remind, PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan declared at the party’s extraordinary congress in March 2015 that he decided to quit active politics and resign as the leader of PAP and the head of that party’s parliamentary faction. “I am going to quit active politics, and I am no longer the chairman of the party. I ask you not to disturb me in connection with a political issue,” Tsarukyan declared at that time.
Ara Abrahamyan - who has announced his plans to run in the 2017 parliamentary elections in Armenia – has touched upon the rumors about his cooperation with the leader of Orinats Yerkir party Arthur Baghdasaryan. “Baghdasaryan is my friend, but he has his own path,” he stressed.

As regards the statement that A. Abrahamyan made at one time to the effect that he is a Russian, the UAR president said: “When I say I am a Russian, it means a mentality, rather than a nationality. I am an Armenian, I am proud of my nationality, my homeland, and the village where I was born – Malishka. I am going to meet with village residents, consult with them to see if they approve of my intention to enter active politics”.

Ara Abrahamyan was annoyed by the question about what prevents him from making a career in Russian politics. He said that his status in Russia is not the lowest one, and nothing hinders him there, but he has no intention of carving out a career for himself, but he aims to help Armenia.

“I am a businessman. Do you know what it means to spend money? Ara Abrahamyan spent $147 million from his personal funds on the Union of Armenians of Russia. Do you know what it means? People often ask me if my Russian does not hinder me, and if I am not ashamed of the fact that I cannot speak proper Russian. I say once again: you, experts of the Russian language, need to set up at least one organization and only then to dismiss me and undertake solution of the country’s problems. Unfortunately, it does not happen,” Abrahamyan said adding: “I don’t want to sleep soundly at night as long as people here live in bad conditions”.

A reporter’s question about whether he intends to do business in Armenia nearly put Ara Abrahamyan beside himself. He said he would not answer that question and reiterated: “We are creating a party that has nothing to do with business”.